


The Tingle In My Fingertips

by MusicalRaven



Category: Game Grumps, Real Person Fiction, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Ghost!Dan, Ghosts, Haunting, M/M, Murder, Pansexual Arin, Past Character Death, Psychic Abilities, Rape/Non-con Elements, SEE END NOTES ON EIGHTH CHAPTER, Self-Hatred, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-08-15 11:59:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8055481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalRaven/pseuds/MusicalRaven
Summary: Dan was brutally raped and murdered ten years ago. Every year he's forced to relive his last hours on earth. But this death day, there are some new faces coming around his house. They want to buy the place, especially Arin. But Dan isn't sure. He doesn't trust living beings anymore. His death proved the fact that people were destined to destroy you. Immediately his fingertips felt like they were on fire, but not like the burning kind. The feeling when you've been in the cold for so long and you walk inside and your body starts to unfreeze. That feeling was surging through his fingertips and he gasped in surprise, not expecting the strong sensation. But, to his surprise, he wasn't the only one to gasp.  Dan's eyes shot open to find Arin, eyes wide and mouth in an 'O', staring straight at him.





	1. Something Old, Something New

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Feel You're There](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3213629) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> Reading a bunch of Egobang recently and I came across this fic called [Feel You There](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3213629/chapters/6991928) by LTheGreat with Dan as a ghost. I was so taken by the idea I decided to write some Ghost Danny myself. Be warned though. Mines a bit darker, as you can see by the tags. If you're triggered by anything to do with rape, stabbings, or physical and emotional abuse, don't read this. Especially not the first half of this chapter.

It still surprised Dan when the day came. It had been ten years, and yet his death day still crept up on him, forcing him to relive his untimely demise. It shouldn't be this way, at least that's what Dan thinks. Not that he really knows. In all his ten years of being dead, he's yet to meet another ghost. It most likely has to do with the fact that his spirit was bound to this house, unable to leave the confines of the walls no matter how hard he tried. He was resigned to this, but his death day was something he never expected to get used to.

Every year on April 5th, some time around ten in the morning, Dan would start to feel. The first year, those first few seconds had been more than a shock, they had been a blessing. His fingertips tingling, air rushing into his lungs; such a difference from the cold emptiness he felt every other day of the year. But this rush back of feeling was only followed by misery as his vision began to swim, furniture appearing where there wasn't any, the emptiness of his prison changing to what was once a warm comfort of home. 

Dan swallowed hard, feeling his stomach curl. He knew exactly what happened next. Every moment of silence. Of anticipation. It was torture. Dan tried to keep his breaths even, but was quickly failing. No matter how many times he experienced it, it was never easy.

The pounding from the door made Dan flinch, even though he expected it. Even though it was useless, he tried to fight his limbs as they strode forward towards the door. He felt like a puppet, unable to close his eyes as he opened the door and greeted the person slouching against his door frame with a smile. He wanted to scream at him, to slam the door in his face and run, or even just to ask him why. Why did he do this to him? Why?

But the only words that came from his mouth were the same as before. "Cameron!" His voice said, smile still bright on his face. "I missed you! Where've you been?"

Cameron's mouth twisted into a smile, and Dan wanted to punch that smile right off his face. He knew that smile would soon morph into a deranged thing, spreading over his face like a virus. "I've missed you too, Danny boy." He winked and leaned forward. "Can I come in?"

_No!_ , Dead Dan shouted. _You can never come in! Go away!_

"Of course." Dan's voice said, his body stepping aside to let the leech inside. Inside his mind, Dead Dan felt helpless. Trapped. It was like watching a horror movie. You could yell at them not to open the door all you wanted. They were still going to do it.

As soon as Cameron stepped inside, Dan closed the door behind them. "Can I get you anything?" He offered as Cameron shed his coat and put it in Dan's offered hands.

"There is something I've been wanting for a while." Cameron said, as Dan turned to hang the coat up on the little bird themed hooks he'd installed by the door. He'd made those himself, always disappointed with the lack of creativity in such things. After his death, his sister had unscrewed them from the wall, dropping them unceremoniously into the garbage. It was the tipping point for Dan, the point he knew it was all gone, and he'd sobbed, even though his ghostly form prohibited the shedding of tears.

"Yeah?" Dan's voice said, bringing him back from his memories. He didn't want to watch. To hear Cameron's footsteps come closer as Dan's hands were busy smoothing the creases from his jacket. To feel those cruel hands wrap around his hips and his body pressed against his back, the erection pressing into his ass immediately obvious. Dead Dan wanted to close his eyes and drift away until it was all over, but it just kept going.

Dan laughed nervously, his fingers curling around the jacket sleeve slightly. "Someone's a bit excited to see me." He licked his lips, trying to hide the confusion he was feeling. _Oh you'll understand soon._ Dead Dan thought, watching his fingers curl tighter around the jacket in surprise as Cameron began kissing his neck.

"C-Cameron wait." His voice said, trying to turn around. Cameron's fingers dug into his hips, stopping him. "Cam-"

"Shhh." Cameron said, licking a stripe up the side of his neck. Dan shivered. "I'll take care of you."

Dan's hands curled into fists and he took a slow, calming breath, trying to ignore Cameron's hot breath on his neck. "I told you I wasn't ready."

Cameron's fingers dug harder into Dan's hips, gripping them painfully. "You're holding out on me, Daniel." His voice had an edge to it, one alive Dan had never heard but dead Dan knew all to well. "I thought you liked me."

"Cam, you know I do but-" Dan shoved down on his hands, trying to loosen them. To his surprise, Cam actually let go, allowing Dan to turn and face him. "You know you're the first guy I've dated and I-" Dan swallowed. "I've never…"

Cameron chuckled, looking Dan up and down as if he were owned by him. Dead Dan wanted to punch him, knock that stupid expression right off his face. But his body only shivered again, confused still but a sliver of fear finally starting to work it's way up his spine.

"So what?" Cam said, lifting a hand to twirl a finger in Dan's hair. "It's only sex."

Dan blinked. "Only- I mean- Cam, I-"

Cam frowned and dropped his hand. "You don't want me." He spat the words out, like they were a curse.

"Of course I want you." Dan said, oblivious to the thoughts in Cameron's head. But Dead Dan could hear them. All too clearly. 

_Slut. He's probably been with hundreds of guys. No way he's never had it up the ass. He's fucking begging for it._

Dan's hand reached out, trying to sooth Cameron, but suddenly Cam lashed out, pinning Dan against the wall. "I told you I'd take care of you." He growled, grabbing Dan's wrists and pinning them above his head, squeezing them painfully. Dan winced, the shock still not allowing his body to move. The dead him remembered thinking how Cameron couldn't be doing this. How Cameron was too sweet, too loving, too caring. This couldn't be real.

"Cam, you're hurting me." Dan pleaded, some hope still in his chest. But when that virus of a smile blossomed on Cam's face, his hope dropped and the fear started to make his whole body tingle. It was happening again. Dead Dan stared into Cam's dead eyes and hated him. Hated how helpless he was, dead or alive. How easily he had managed to corner him, to capture him, and to throw him away. Like he was just another toy to him. It made him sick.

"Am I? You poor little slut." Cam dug his fingernails into his skin causing Dan to cry out as he drew blood. Cam only laughed, rocking his hips forward against Dan's. Dan squirmed, trying so hard to escape his grasp. But it only seemed to excite Cam, making him grind harder down on his crotch. He licked and kissed at Dan's neck, while Dan whimpered in pain. "You whores are all the same." Cam mumbled. "Always pushing me away, but look at you." He pulled back, licking his lips and thrusting his hips forward. Dan's breath caught, tears gathering in his eyes. Cam beamed. "You're practically begging to be fucked by me."

"Please Cam don't do this." Dan pleaded, his voice barely a whisper now.

"Shhh." Cam said, leaning forward and kissing Dan's nose. "You're mine now."

All of Dan's hope was gone by the time Cam pulled out the duct tape from his back pocket. It finally sunk in that this wasn't a dream. Cam meant to do this. Wanted to tie him up and rape him. And with that thought, Dan began to sob.

Even ten years later, Dead Dan could still feel that anguish, now so strong he could feel it in his bones. He hadn't know he was going to die that day. As Cam stripped off his clothes and bounded his wrists and mouth with duct tape, he had only thought about just letting him finish. If he didn't struggle too much, if he gave him what he wanted, then maybe it would be over soon. Dead Dan cringed at these thoughts as he watched Cam force his legs apart and unbuckle his jeans. He watched him force his way into him, too many fingers and nothing to smooth the way. His voice screamed through the tape, the tearing and the blinding pain undeniable. Then Cam forced himself inside and the sobs began anew. Dead Dan's only solace was at this point, he was able to close his eyes.

When he had finished, he'd lain there for a whole minute, breathing heavily. Dan hadn't moved, tense and still as a small frightened bird, hoping the threat would just disappear. But he didn't. He withdrew but his presence was still there. Hovering.

"Dan? Open your eyes." Cam's voice said, and Dan shook his head, another sob breaking the silence. "Open them!" Cam shouted and Dan's eyes shot open. Dead Dan wanted to close them again. Didn't want to see it too, but the knife was in his sights now, and Dan's eyes widened in fear. He tried to squirm backwards but only hit his head on the headboard. He was left shaking, Cam sighing like this was a big ordeal for him.

"I know, I know. You thought once we had sex I'd go." He actually had the gull to give him a pitiful smile, like he was _sorry_.

_You fucking murderer!_ Dead Dan shouted. _You used me! I trusted you!_

"I guess it's time." Cam said, shuffling closer. Dan shook his head, pleading with his eyes, but Cam only came closer, pinning his legs with his own. "Goodnight." Cam said simply, before plunging the knife into Dan's chest.

Dead Dan could feel the slide of the knife; another penetration, another violation. Again and again it came down and he could taste the copper on his tongue, feel the warm liquid spurting over his chest, his face, his everywhere. Dan was screaming, flailing, but slowly loosing strength. His vision blurred, the pain receded, and suddenly he was cold. Empty. And he was alone. Dan lay there on the cold hardwood, in this empty house he once called home, and for the tenth time, at 11:32 in the morning, he sobbed. 

The sound of the door opening, however, stilled his sobs to mere hiccups. He blinked, staring at the front door as it slowly swung open to reveal three humans. Usually, on his death day, crying and sobbing to himself would take precedence over anything, but the shock of human beings _actually setting foot in his house_ was enough to get to to his ghostly feet. He didn't bother to float, to drained to even bother, but watched silently as the three human's walked inside.

"Wow! This place is friggin huge!" The first man said. He looked around the living room, eyes wide with excitement. Dan immediately hated him.

"Yeah, dude." The second man said, scratching his head. He looked more reserved, but still excited. Dan also hated him.

"Yes, well, the living room is quite spacious." The lady next to them said, holding a clipboard against her chest. "The kitchen is just off to the left following a connected hallway and two bathrooms." Dan hated her also. Dan was pretty sure he would hate anyone at this point, right after witnessing his own murder yet again, but he didn't really care. He was a ghost. He could do what he chose. And he chose to be righteously pissed that there were humans in his house.

"Two bathrooms?" The first man said. "Dude, we could both shit at the same time!"

The lady looked slightly taken aback by this statement but the second man just rolled his eyes. "Do you really think that's the most important thing to consider, Arin?"

The one called Arin frowned. "No…but dude two bathrooms!"

"Gentlemen." The woman said, looking more annoyed by Arin by the second. "If you would follow me, I could show you the kitchen?"

The second man nodded. "That sounds good."

"Okay sure." Arin said. "But Barry we gotta check out those bathrooms. Are they spacious? There better not be one of those little closet things with the toilet in there. Those things suck. I need room, man."

"I assure you, there is not." The woman said. "Can we move to the kitchen, please?" Dan was trying hard not to crack a smile at this point. What was with this guy?

Arin shrugged. "Lead the way."

The woman looked relieved and walked immediately towards the kitchen. The two men followed her, both looking around as they did. Dan started to float after them, both intrigued and annoyed. Nothing ever happened here besides his death day so this was entertaining, however he didn't want people actually _living_ here.

As the woman began to describe the details of the kitchen, Arin's eyes seemed to glaze over a bit. His eyes wandered back to the hallway they'd crossed over, and to the entrance to the living room. He seemed to be thinking about something. Danny narrowed his eyes as he watched him. _He better not be thinking of tearing up the place I swear to-_.

Suddenly, Arin's eyes flickered over to him and Dan froze. Arin's eyes narrowed, eyebrows scrunched together as if he was trying to solve something. His eyes flickered around him then back at him, before he shrugged and looked away.

Dan stared at the man, simply shocked. Did he- How did he- He couldn't have seen him. If he'd seen him he would have run. He totally would have. Dan may be a beanpole, but he was a ghost dammit. And yet Arin seemed unconcerned. Dan shook his head. No, he must have been looking at something else. Or just sensed something. He knew when he was alive, he'd do that sometimes. Stare at corners for no reason, certain he was missing something. Maybe Arin was like that too.

"Can we see the office?" Barry asked the woman. "I need to see if it will work for what we need."

"Of course." The woman said, flashing a smile. "Right this way."

Dan followed behind them silently, getting more frustrated as he did. He could see the marks of mud they left upon the hard wood, hear their loud breathing and heartbeats. It was much too loud. Too much. He curled his fingers at his side, wanting to throw them out. He wanted peace. Silence. It wasn't meant to be noisy here.

The woman opened the door to his- to the 'office'. Dan glared at the men as they walked inside, no doubt imagining their own uses for his old hidey hole.

Arin shivered and ran his hand along the wall, looking slightly perplexed. He glanced around the room, especially at the floor, then back up at the woman. "Did the last owner make this into some kind of booth?"

Dan blinked. How did he-? 

The woman nodded. "Well, yes. The previous owner had set up the room as a sort of recording studio. It was all taken down after his, um," The woman paused. Dan narrowed his eyes at her. _Say it_ He dared as Arin and Barry turned to look at her. But she just waved a hand and said, "When he left the property he hadn't taken it down, so it was removed rather roughly by hired hands. You may need to buff the walls a bit if you wish the paint it."

Arin chuckled. "Fair enough. But funnily enough, we were thinking of doing something similar."

Dan clenched his fists together, unable to stop the rage bubbling up in his mind. The thought of someone else recording in his old recording studio, having a grand old time while Dan was stuck in this hellish afterlife; it made Dan want to scream. He needed them out. Now. He scanned the room, looking for something he could use to scare them off. However, with the room so empty, the only thing he landed on was the door.

He tuned out Arin and Barry's babbling, something about their ideas for the old studio, and concentrated on the door. He'd tried to move things before. Little objects, just to see if he could. He made a nail levitate once, scaring off a mouse from his old bedroom. But he'd never moved a whole door before.

Dan closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to imagine the door slamming shut in his mind. He repeated this thought, blocking out the rest of the world. Slowly, he started to feel a tingle in his fingertips, then a crackle of energy. He kept concentrating, willing the door shut. _C'mon._

"-thinking of installing some sound proof glass-" Arin was saying when the door to the office suddenly slammed shut. All three of them jumped, Barry even letting out a little squeak of fear. They all stared at the door, none of them daring to say a word for several seconds.

Eventually, the woman cleared her throat and gave a professional smile. "Sorry about that. It seems there's quite the draft. I hope that won't be too much trouble."

Arin continued staring at the door as Barry cleared his throat and shook his head. "Ah no just a bit of a surprise."

The woman gave a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, some of these old houses can be quite drafty and lead to some strange incidents. I can, of course, send a contractor in here to find out what needs to be patched…"

"That might be a good idea." Arin mumbled, narrowing his eyes at the offending door. Barry glanced at him, furrowing his brow and Arin's weird expression but brushing it off as he spoke again. "Can you show us the upstairs?"

The woman nodded and opened the door. "Of course."

Dan floated in the corner of the room, the tingle in his fingertips gone now and feeling like he just ran a marathon. His form slowly descended until he was standing on the floor, his mind feeling quite fuzzy. _Wow that…took a lot more…than I expected…_. Dan wobbled, watching the humans leave the room, before collapsing in a heap on the floor, vision slowly drifting into blackness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already finished the next to chapters so i'll post them over the next few weeks as i work on more. Love you guys :D


	2. Rumors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna try to post a new chapter every week but we'll see what happens. Hope you guys enjoy :D

Dan's vision came back to him slowly, like the beginning of a film real. It started out fuzzy, then slowly shapes began to define themselves, then details, and finally he blinked and everything was clear. The hardwood floor stretched out before him, each dust mite and piece of lint visible. He blinked again, slowly sitting up and looking around. He remembered slamming that door, the overwhelming feeling of tiredness…and then suddenly here he was. Everything silent and alone again.

Dan drifted up, shaking off the dizziness that still plagued him. He floated through the office door, glancing around the hallway. Still nothing. How long had he been passed out? The question lingered in his mind as he floated up to the second floor. Were Arin and Barry still here?

He drifted from room to room but all of them came up empty. He frowned. Though he had what he wanted, he felt uneasy. If they were gone now, how long had he been out? Could it just have been hours, or even days? Dan bit his lip, glancing around his old bedroom before floating back down to the first floor. He had no way of knowing how long he'd been out, no way of knowing if they'd been back since he was out. If they were considering this place and Dan hadn't been able to try and dissuaded them…

Dan shook his head, trying not to think about it. He couldn't have been out _that_ long. Plus, why would they even want this place? It really was drafty, plus he knew it smelled even when he was alive. It was old, unrepaired, and houses an annoyed ghost. No one would ever want to live here, he knew it.

For some reason, this thought made him sad, but he quickly shook it off. No, he liked being alone. Humans were dirty liars that only took from you. Even his family had taken all his things and left him to rot here, without anything from when he was living. He only had himself now, but he was content with that.

Dan drifted back to the office, running his hands along the walls even though he couldn't feel them. He remembered the foam padding he'd glued to every inch of the room, so much so he wasn't surprised that bits were still left even now. He'd been hasty and excited, using much too strong adhesive. Dan smiled slightly, remembering the second hand mic he'd gotten from an old friend, the mic stand he'd gotten from the garbage, and his old guitar propped up in the corner. He drifted to the middle of the room, sitting mid air where their used to be a beat up stool, imagining the mic in front of him as he closed his eyes. His smile widened as he remembered strumming his guitar, feeling the vibrations in his fingers, and those too big headphones strung over his ears reflecting the strumming back. He hummed to himself the beginning tune from Rush's Fly By Night, lifting his fingers to finger imaginary strings.

"Why try? I know why/The feeling inside me says it's time I was gone." He sung quietly, swaying slightly to the imaginary beat. "Clear head, new life ahead/It's time I was king now, not just one more pawn." He sung a bit louder, aware no one could hear him anyways. "Fly by night, away from here! Change my life again!"

The sound of the front door squeaking open made him freeze again. No. No way. They couldn't be back. He was certain they'd be gone!

Dan shot forward to the living room, skidding to a stop in the air a few feet to the left of the door. A man he hadn't seen before entered, followed by a different woman than before. Dan's mouth twisted into a frown. More people? Wonderful. Someone must really be trying to sell his house.

"Suzy! Arin! Get your flirty asses in here!" The new man yelled. The woman next to him snorted a laugh but didn't say anything, just glanced around the living room. Dan folded his arms and glared at her, daring her to see him. However, her eyes only skimmed over him, oblivious.

"Dude, you're the one who wanted water." A familiar voice said. Dan floated closer to the door, a bit confused, when three strange humans walked in followed by Arin, the human from last time. Dan glanced behind him, looking for that Barry fellow but there was no one else.

Arin closed the door behind him and tossed a bottle of water at the other man's chest. He scrambled to grab it, but it hit him squarely in the chest, bounced, and rolled towards the kitchen. 

"Good catch, Ross." The first woman said with a laugh. The other woman-Suzy?-snickered as well.

Ross scooped up the water bottle and shrugged, twisting off the cap and taking a swig. Arin walked into the living room, holding his arms out. "Guys, look at this place. You can't tell me this wouldn't be perfect."

"Arin, we've barely seen one room." Suzy said, raising an eyebrow.

"Holly!" Arin said, catching the attention of the other woman. "C'mon."

Holly shrugged. "Show us the rest of the place, Arin. Like the bedrooms."

Arin wrinkled his nose. "Oh, the bedrooms are what you want, are they?"

Ross grinned. "Well duh. If we're gonna spend a great deal of time here then…"

Suzy wrinkled her nose but giggled. "Holly, shut him up."

"Well he's not wrong." Holly said, elbowing Ross in the side.

"Hey! You're on my side!" Ross said, pouting.

"Doesn't mean you didn't deserve it." Holly said, walking off towards the hallway. "C'mon, I wanna see."

Arin snorted. "Fine, you two check out the upstairs. I wanna show Suzy where we're gonna put the studio."

" _If_ we get the place." Ross said, already following Holly.

"Well we totally are so…" Arin said, trailing off as he glanced around the room. Dan glanced back and forth at Ross and Holly's retreating forms, then back at Arin and Suzy, walking towards his old recording studio. He bit his lip, not sure who to follow. Although, if Ross and Holly were together, they'd probably get into things and…yeah Arin and Suzy it was.

Dan drifted after them, fighting the need to knocking some things over. He had to save his strength. He couldn't just shut one door and pass out again, he needed to frighten them better than that. Obviously Arin was very set on this place, and he needed desperately to dissuade him.

"Does Ross think we're still dating?" Suzy asked Arin quietly. Dan raised his eyebrow and glanced at Arin. Arin sighed and shrugged.

"I dunno. I mean, I never said anything. I thought he'd see it." Arin ran a hand through his hair. 

Suzy frowned. "Arin, you have to talk to him. I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

"I know, I know." Arin said, sighing again. "I'll talk to him, I promise." Suzy nodded, looking satisfied by his answer. Dan looked between them and rolled his eyes at the drama, even though a pang in his chest reminded him of when these were the worst problems he had. 

Arin gestured at the door to the studio. "In here."

Suzy quickly walked ahead and opened the door, gesturing inside. Arin dramatically curtsied, making Suzy and Dan giggle. Though Dan frowned right after and resolutely folded his arms across his chest, following them inside. 

Suzy spun around in the space, making a pleased noise. "Nice and spacious."

"I know, right?" Arin said, tapping the wall. "I still can't believe the last guy who lived here had basically the same idea for this room as we did."

Suzy laughed. "Well, I doubt he had what _you_ have in mind. But maybe he did some singing or something." A lump formed in Dan's throat at those words. They didn't know how right they were.

"Well, no matter what, it's perfect." Arin said triumphantly.

"Did you tell Ross about the rumors though?" Suzy asked, leaning against the wall.

Arin snorted. "As if. Him and Holly'd be out of here in a second if I told them anything." Dan's ears perked up at this. What rumors? Did they have to do with him?

"Yeah well, they have a right to know still." Suzy shrugged. "Even if it's all a bunch of paranormal bullshit." Dan smiled. So the rumors were about him. Interesting. This might be easier than he thought.

Dan decided to try something, curious about what his presence would do to the two humans. Not many people had been in his house since he died. Those who were came when he was still mourning his own death, too heartbroken to even bother trying out his ghostly abilities. But now he had a vague idea at least.

Dan floated close to Suzy, tilting his head slightly. He decided just to run his hand over her shoulder. It still disturbed him that he could go through people if he wanted to, so he kept to the outside of her body, close enough to basically be touching her but nothing else. He ran his hand over her shoulder and down her arm. Instantly, goosebumps sprung up on her arm and she shivered, rubbing her arm with her other hand. 

"Bit of a draft, isn't there?" Suzy asked, shivering again as Dan ran his hand over her other arm.

Arin shrugged. "The relator said she'd get someone to take care of that before we moved in."

Suzy rubbed her arms. "Well I hope she does, cause I'm freezing."

Arin gave her a weird look. "I'm just fine. Maybe you're near the draft."

Suzy scooted away from the wall and away from Dan. Dan chuckled to himself. Now sure of his effect, he was eager to try something else. He drifted close to Arin and circled him, trying to find something to mess with. Finding nothing, however, he frowned. He supposed he could just run his hands over him, but what fun was that?

Arin tucked his hair behind his ear as he continued to talk to Suzy and Dan's eyes followed the movement. He watched his hand fall back to his side and gnawed on his lip as he thought. He really didn't want to put his hand through someone. But…he was curious. What would happen if he did? The thought was both disturbing and exciting.

 _What if they never come back? They might find a different place, and then you'll have to wait a lot longer to try._ He thought to himself. He glanced up at Arin's face, then back down at his hand. He could just do it quick. Maybe just a finger through his finger. What harm could it do?

Dan looked back up at Arin's face. He looked relaxed, chatting with Suzy, and not likely to move soon. Dan took a phantom breath out of habit, not even able to feel the air rushing through his throat. He slowly reached out, pausing just short of Arin's hand. _I can do this. Just put your finger through him then pull away._ He took another phantom breath, closed his eyes, and stuck the tips of his fingers through the back of Arin's hand.

Immediately his fingertips felt like they were on fire, but not like the burning kind. The feeling when you've been in the cold for so long and you walk inside and your body starts to unfreeze. That feeling was surging through his fingertips and he gasped in surprise, not expecting the strong sensation. But, to his surprise, he wasn't the only one to gasp.

Dan's eyes shot open to find Arin, eyes wide and mouth in an 'O', staring straight at him.

Both of them were still, staring at each other with a sort of vivid disbelief. Neither of them dared to move, as if it would break something. They just stared, unable to do anything else, as the burning continued to make Dan's fingers actually throb. He could feel them. So much so they hurt. And he was torn between the amazingness of this sensation and the shock of Arin actually _seeing_ him. How was this even possible?

"Arin?" Suzy asked, a worried lilt to her voice. The sound broke their trance and Dan quickly pulled his hand back, retreating to the far corner. Arin blinked. Once, twice, then several more times. He looked all around where Dan was but never once landed on him. It seemed he couldn't see him any more, and Dan felt an intense relief wash over him.

"Arin?" Suzy asked again. She had stepped closer, putting a hand on his arm. He jumped, turning to look at her worried face. "Hey, are you okay? You kinda froze there." She offered a nervous smile.

Arin blinked again and ran a hand through his hair, glancing at the other hand that Dan had just been touching. "Uh," He started, clearing his throat. "Uh, yeah, I just thought I saw…" He trailed off, glancing back at where Dan had been earlier. Dan huddled closer to the wall, his back passing slightly through the wall in his desperation to stay as far away from them as possible.

"Saw?" Suzy asked, glancing at where Arin was looking and frowning when she only saw a wall.

"Nothing, I guess. Geez, I think I need some sleep." He rubbed his hand over his face and shook his head.

Suzy smiled a little more genuinely this time and patted his back. "C'mon. Let's go find Holly and Ross. I'll drive, okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah okay." Arin followed her out of the studio, the slam of the door echoing behind them. Dan didn't move, just stared down at his hands, shaking.


	3. Ghostie-goo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin comes back to the house and Dan doesn't know what Youtube is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another chapter. So happy you guys are liking this, cause I am

The contact took less energy than slamming the door apparently, because while Dan felt fatigued afterword, it was pretty minor compared to his passing out session. It didn't surprise him. It was brief, after all, and he only used his fingertips. But even so, the fatigue made him climb the steps to the second floor instead of floating through the floor.

After his strange contact with Arin, the foursome quickly left. Suzy convinced Holly and Ross that Arin was quite tired and needed to go home, but that they could come back later to look the place over more. Holly and Ross instantly agreed after seeing Arin. He looked a bit out of it, Although Dan knew it was because he was searching for him. He couldn't see him, but Dan still felt a spike of fear whenever Arin's eyes wavered a little to long near him.

After they left, the house was empty for several days. By the fifth, Dan was sure they were never coming back. He should have been happy, but he only felt more empty. His days were spent drifting from room to room, occasionally attempting to move a loose screw or an old tin can. He realized just how boring it was with only himself here, and he found himself wishing the humans would return, if only for some more drama for him to watch. Something. Only now was he realizing how lonely these past ten years had been.

On the sixth day, Dan heard a car stop in the driveway. He immediately flew to the window, phasing through the curtains to press his nose against the glass. It was strange, but the only thing tangible to him were the outside walls of the house. Although it was a different feeling, as if he was touching a freezing, smooth stone wall. Unbreakable and very solid. Thankfully though, he could still see through the windows.

Sitting in the driveway was a light coloured Mini Cooper, engine on idle. In the driver seat Dan could just barely see Arin, leaning back against the seat and staring at the steering wheel. Dan glanced around but couldn't see any other people in the car, or any other cars even. He frowned, confused. Was Arin alone?

He drifted away from the window, unsure of what to do. He didn't really want to go near Arin after what happened last time, but his curiosity was strong. How did Arin see him? Was it because he phased through him? How was that even possible? Was it possible to talk to him?

Dan shook his head to clear the last thought, his frown deepening. No. He wasn't even going to consider that. Talking to him was dangerous, wasn't it? If Arin really found out he was there, he could have him exorcised which…well he didn't know what that would do but he really didn't want that to happen.

The sound of a key turning in the lock made Dan jump. He instinctively looked for somewhere to hide, but quickly chastised himself. Arin couldn't see him unless he…well unless something like last time happened, he was pretty sure. He was okay for now. He just had to stay a good distance away from him.

The door slowly opened and Arin entered, a bag slung over one shoulder. He flipped on the lights and glanced around, looking a bit nervous. Dan didn't really blame him. If he was still alive and he'd seen a ghost-well he probably wouldn't even be back-,but he'd definitely be frightened.

After Arin finished his quick survey, he made his way over to the middle of the very empty living room. Dan stayed by the wall, watching him as he sat down on the floor and shrugged off his bag. Arin glanced around again, teeth tugging lightly on his bottom lip. He looked very unsure of himself, and Dan wondered if Arin thought he was dangerous. He suddenly felt the need to reassure him, but there was nothing he could do. He felt helpless, and his lips curled distantly at the thought. Helpless was not a word he wanted to equate to himself ever again.

Arin shivered slightly before looking down at his bag. After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally unzipped it and pulled out it's contents. Dan was fairly shocked by what he saw. An Ouija board, several crystals, a pretty hefty book, a box of chalk, and an unopened pack of candles. As Arin looked over the items, he chewed on his lip and ran a hand through his hair, obviously overwhelmed. Dan honestly felt the same way. They were both very far out of their league.

Dan drifted a bit closer so he could eye up the items better. He knew now why Arin came back alone. He'd figured out, probably through a combination of whatever the rumors were and his sighting of Dan, that this house was haunted. So he wanted to contact the spirits here, or spirit in this case. Although Dan supposed he didn't know that yet.

Most of the items like the candles and chalk looked like they were from the dollar store, but the book looked old and tattered. Used. The cover said, "Understanding the Afterworld." Dan was a bit impressed. Arin must have done a good amount of research before he came here.

"What am I doing?" Arin suddenly asked, making Dan just back with wide eyes. Arin huffed out some air and shook his head. "There's no way this is real. Suzy's probably right." He rested his elbows on his knees and stared at his lap, his hair falling in a curtain around his face.

Dan stared at him, sure if he had a heart it'd be beating out of his chest right now. He had been sure Arin had somehow just seen him and he was ready to bolt. But he realized Arin was only talking to himself, although that did little to settle his discomfort. He clenched and unclenched his fists nervously, unsure of what to do. He didn't want Arin to leave, but he also didn't really want him to stay. He felt torn between his safety and his loneliness.

Arin let out another sigh and straightened up slowly, glancing at the book before scooping it up and depositing it in his lap. He flipped it open, seeming to flip through it randomly before closing it again and glancing at his items. He tapped his fingers against the cover, thinking. Dan watched him, deciding on a whim to drift to a spot several feet in front of him. He slowly lowered himself to the ground, resting his phantom legs criss-cross to mirror Arin. He watched him curiously as he picked up the chalk and reopened the book. He flipped through it with more purpose this time, stopping at a particular page and scanning it intently. Dan tilted his head as he stuck an index finger on the page and followed over text. He mouthed the words as he read, narrowing his eyes at the parts he didn't understand. Dan found himself smiling and he wasn't quite sure why.

"So…" Arin mumbled, opening the box of chalk as he continued reading the book. "Squiggly dick, evil circle and…mangled butterfly. Right." He licked his lips and pulled out a piece of pink chalk. He smiled at it for some reason, then leaned forward and pushed the rest of the items out of the way. After everything was sufficiently to his right, he began to draw swooping symbols, first a large triangle, followed by three symbols, one on each corner. He continued to glance back at the book, as if to make sure the symbols were exactly right. Dan ached to float behind him and read over his shoulder. To know what he was doing. But he was too afraid he'd accidentally touch him, so he remained where he was, hands fidgeting as they lay loosely on his knees.

Arin checked, then double checked the symbols and their positioning before putting the chalk back in it's box. "Okay…" He said, turning to the pile of discarded items. "Crystals, crystals." He grabbed two of the crystals, looking between them before putting them on the book. Dan leaned forward, noticing two drawings of different coloured crystals on the page. One of the crystals Arin had matched perfectly. The other was close, but not quite. Arin seemed to realize this and switched it with a slightly lighter coloured crystal. He nodded to himself, satisfied with the likeness. Then he took a deep breath. "Okay, almost done." He mumbled to himself as he placed the crystals in the triangle. His free hand rubbed the corner of the page, as he arranged the crystals correctly. He sat back, staring at what now looked like a summoning ring. Arin looked so very lost, his eyebrows drawn together and his hands shaking slightly. Dan watched all of this, hands fidgeting more with the inability to comfort the poor man.

Suddenly, Arin flipped back to the beginning of the book, stopping at the inner cover. He ran his hand over a hand written paragraph, skimming over it with his eyes. Dan leaned forward again, wondering if he could catch what it said, but Arin was already flipping back to the previous page. Dan frowned in disappointment, but sat back, waiting.

Arin flipped over to the next page, index finger poised at the top of the page. Dan could hear his rapid heartbeat; the intensity of his breathing. He was scared, but he was going to try it anyways. That intrigued Dan. He didn't even think about leaving the room, of hiding from whatever he was about to do. His only thought was he wanted to see what Arin would do next.

Arin took a few deep breaths, the shaking in his hands diminishing as well as the rate of his heart beat. He closed his eyes as he did this, and Dan let his eyes wander over his face as it relaxed. He vaguely wondered if he would bother with the candles, but when Arin opened his eyes and began to speak, Dan promptly threw that thought out the window.

"Spirits," He started, voice shaking. He cleared his throat, then tried again. "Spirts, hear me speak." He said, voice slightly deeper and more controlled. "Reveal yourselves to me and…" He glanced down at the book. "And head my words. Reveal your form." He ran a hand over the crystals, closing his eyes as he did and mouthing some words to himself. To Dan's amazement, the crystals began to glow faintly, then brighter as Arin continued to mumble to himself. 

"Woah." Dan mumbled, hypnotized by the colours of the crystals. He didn't notice Arin's eyes snap open, nor the shocked look on his face. Instead, he reached forward to try and touch the crystals, wondering if they'd have the same reaction to his hand.

"Holy fuck!" Arin blurted, making Dan yank his arm back and look up at him wide eyed. Arin had pulled his own hand back and was clutching it to his chest, eyes staring straight into Dan's. "Holy fucking shit, it worked."

Dan shot into the air, ready to bolt. He could see him. This wasn't good. No no no-

"W-wait!" Arin said, licking his lips. "Please don't go. I'm-I'm not gonna hurt you I promise."

Dan paused, still wide eyed but uncertain. He looked down at the triangle on the floor, and noticed the crystals were still glowing. He glanced back up at Arin, who seemed both scared and amazed. Dan swallowed heavily, forcing his fear to quell in his belly. He swayed, not sure of what to do next.

"Um, my name's Arin." Arin said, tugging lightly on the page of the book. He was still very nervous.

"I know." Dan said slowly, gauging Arin's reaction. He blinked, surprised, but not too freaked out. Was that good? Dan had no idea.

"How- Wait have you been here this whole time?" Arin shut the book slowly, resting his palms on the cover. Dan nodded in answer to the question, still not able to make himself sit down.

"…I kinda live here so…" He trailed off, glancing to his left then back at Arin.

"Right. Right. I mean, the rumors did say-wait does that mean-?" Arin swallowed, looking down at his hands. "Uh, never mind.

Dan looked confused, tilting his head slightly. "No, what were the rumors? You mentioned them before to that Suzy person and I- are they about me?"

Arin nodded, nibbling on his lip. "Uh huh."

Dan narrowed his eyes. "Arin? What did the rumors say?" Arin shrunk back a bit at his tone, and Dan remembered he was meeting his first ghost. Dan sighed and let himself drift into a sitting position. Arin glanced up at him carefully, as if expecting him to attack him or something. Dan held open his palms and tried to give him a smile. "I'm sorry I-I haven't talked to someone in ten years. I don't quite remember how to be…" He licked his lips and looked to the side, trying to come up with the word he was thinking of.

"Social?" Arin offered. Dan nodded and Arin cracked a smile. His shoulders relaxed a bit and he sat up a bit straighter. "No problem, man. I get how that is. But wow." He whistled. "Ten years? That must have fucking sucked."

Dan huffed a laugh. "You have an interesting way of phrasing things. But yeah, it did suck. I was used to talking a lot before I died and then it was silent for so long…" He frowned at the memories of his suffering. He had tried to talk to his family. Yelled at them to put his things back, to tell him what was going on, to help him. But they never heard him and after a while, he gave up trying.

Arin swallowed and fiddled with the book again. "Well, we could talk, right? I mean, as long as your not planning on possessing me or some shit."

Dan blinked, staring at him for a second before he suddenly laughed. Arin stared at him, obviously surprised. Hell, Dan was surprised too. He hadn't laughed in ages. But the thought of him even trying to possess Arin was laughable. He could barely slam a door shut without passing out, for goodness sakes.

Arin chuckled, getting over his shock of seeing a ghost laugh pretty fast. "Seems I hit on somebodies funny bone."

Dan shook his head, but a grin stayed on his face. "Nah man, you just-you have no idea how much energy that would even take. I'd probably pass out half way inside of you."

"Well that would be a mood killer." Arin said with a snort.

"Very much so." Dan agreed. He leaned back and noticed now that both of them were quite a bit more relaxed now. _Good_ He thought, smiling at Arin.

"So…" Arin said, running his hand over the cover of the book. "What can I call you?"

"Well, ghost is your first option I suppose. But really I'd prefer Dan, as that is my name." 

"I could always call you Ghostie-goo." Arin said. "Much cuter."

Dan wrinkled his nose. "No thanks."

Arin chuckled. "Kidding, dude. Dan's good."

"It better be." Dan said, crossing his arms but inadvertently pouting. Arin pursed his lips together, trying to contain another laugh. "So my turn then." Dan paused, "What do you want my house for?"

Arin rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. "Well, me and my friends have this YouTube channel…"

"What's YouTube?" Dan interrupted.

Arin stared at him a moment. "You don't know what-? When did you die again?"

"2006." He said slowly, grimacing from even thinking about it. 

"But it started in 2005!" Arin said, looking quite perplexed still. "How could you not hear about the best thing to ever come to the internet?"

Dan shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't care that much for anything but my music. What does it even matter? I'm dead. When am I even gonna use this YouTube?"

Arin opened his mouth, closed it, then shrugged. "Got me there, I guess. Well, YouTube…It's this video hosting site. You record whatever you want, then put it up there for the world to see." Arin ran his finger over the spine of the book absently. "Me and my friends record gaming videos for it. Show off the game while talking about stupid shit. It's a blast." He grinned, seeming quite pleased with himself. Dan wasn't as much.

"That seems kinda stupid." Dan said.

"Don't knock it til you try it, princess."

Dan raised an eyebrow. "But I can't. I'm dead. Do you keep forgetting this or…?"

Arin blinked, looking him up and down before meeting his eyes again. "You know, I forgot how weird this is, but you're right. I'm talking to a ghost." He paused. "I'm talking to a fucking ghost, holy shit. How'd I even manage this?"

"Well don't ask me. You're the one with the book and chalk and shit." Dan said, gesturing at his things. "And-wait why'd you bring a Ouija board if you were gonna do this?"

Arin shrugged, a bit of red tinging his cheeks. "Dunno. I didn't know if what the book said would work."

"So…you brought a children's toy."

The red deepened, making Dan smirk. "It's not a children's toy, you dingus! It's a magic spirit contacting…thing…" Arin pursed his lips as Dan began to giggle. "Shut up." He said, but he was smiling so Dan just continued to giggle.

Suddenly, Arin started blinking fast, looking down at the crystals then back at Dan. "Oh shit. Crap. Dan, you're disappearing."

"I am?" Dan asked, looking down at himself. He looked the same as always, really, so he didn't really know what Arin was referring to.

Arin shook his head. "No I mean my times running out to talk to you. Shit." He ran a hand through his hair as Dan glanced up and noticed the slowly dimming crystals. Oh. Those crystals must be the power source, and if they were failing then…

"Arin, please don't leave. Or I mean don't leave me here forever." He swallowed and looked down. "Or at least don't exorcise me. Please."

"What? No man I wasn't gonna- look I'll be back. With my friends. I really think we're gonna take the place. I mean, if you're okay with that." Arin said quickly, stumbling over his words as he spoke.

Dan thought for a moment, unsure. He had thought he wanted to be alone. Humans were loud, unruly, and often so cruel. But Arin was so nice, and interesting, and so was Suzy and Barry and all of his friends. But that didn't mean they wouldn't harm him later. Cameron had been wonderful in the beginning and that turned out so horribly…

And yet, something made him look up at Arin and say, "I would be honored if you guys lived here." His voice shook with his uncertainty but he said it anyway, the hint of regret in his mind making his fists clench. He had to see. Had to try. He didn't want to be alone again, he knew that now.

The grin that split Arin's face made Dan's heart swell. "Hell yeah, thanks dude. See you around?"

"I guess you will." Dan said, watching as the crystals flickered, then went out. Arin blinked, his eyes darting around the area where Dan was, and Dan knew he could no longer see him. Dan sighed, slouching slightly as Arin searched.

"Dan?" He called out. When he didn't get a reply he frowned. He rubbed his arm, looking around him as if hoping he'd just appear. Dan bit his lip, and on impulse, floated closer to Arin and letting his hand slide through his.

As soon as the liquid fire slammed into his hand, he gasped and once again, Arin did the same. He vaguely wondered what it felt like to Arin. Maybe the feeling of pure ice piercing his hand, freezing his veins. Or maybe a slow freeze, like ice crawling up your arm.

"I'll be here." Dan said, looking Arin straight in the eye as he spoke. Arin swallowed hard, eyes not as wide as before but still quite amazed. He nodded and Dan smiled as he removed his hand. He drifted back, letting Arin's heart rate calm as he stared at where Dan had been. Dan felt a current of excitement thrumming through him. The chance to speak with someone for the first time in so long, coupled with actually being seen and acknowledged was making him float on air metaphorically instead of just literally as usual.

It took him a while, but Arin eventually gathered his things in his bag and stood back up. He stared down at the chalk for a moment before reluctantly blurring the lines and stepping back. He scanned the room one more time, eyes lingering remarkably close to Dan before he sighed, and left the house. Dan listened to his car pull out of the driveway and the engine sound slowly fade from his hearing. But this time, he wasn't relieved or even sad. He knew he'd be back soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Ouija board is not a children's toy nor something to be played with guys. Remember that.
> 
> Also, Arin's mysterious book, the ritual, and the rumors will all be explained in time. Stay tuned ;)


	4. Learning Curve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to thank my amazing beta Mookie ([ouranchimaru](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ouranchimaru/pseuds/ouranchimaru)) for helping me edit this chapter and hopefully future ones! She did an amazing job and is so much better with grammar than I am.
> 
> Secondly, sorry this update's a bit late today, but I was a bit busy. But now it's up and I hope you guys like it :)

The attic was Dan's favorite part of the house. He hadn't even known it had existed when he was alive, the opening blending into the ceiling so well he'd never spared it a second glance. But now that he had an eternity to explore, it was no surprise he finally unearthed the cluttered area.

Unlike the rest of the house, the attic was far from barren. Half-rotted boxes sat piled all around, bits of old paper and bits of junk covering the floor. The room was illuminated by a single window in a dusty corner, under which sat a small, glass-faced doll, propped against a wood board, limbs folded neatly together and face upturned towards the ceiling. The doll offered the only trace of color in the room and caught Dan's eye immediately.

Dan despised that doll. Its face had long since began to fade and peel, now more a clump of smudged colors than a face. Every time he looked at it, his blood would run cold; the creep factor of that fucking doll was too much for him to handle. But, he still unwaveringly ventured here, though he didn't dare go near the doll. Because it was the only place with anything besides loose screws and ants, it held a lot of interest.

Dan eyed the box in front of him with unrestrained curiosity. As he had spent most of his past ten years of death in a state of perpetual boredom, he had long learned to go into a state of 'sleeping', (as much as a ghost could, anyways). It was something he'd picked up through his ghostly depression; the ability to shut off his awareness to make time basically nonexistent. It had been convenient when he was all alone, but now that Arin and his friends kept coming by, Dan actually had a reason to stay awake. In turn, with all the experimenting he'd already done, he felt the need to get even better.

Dan curled his legs into a pretzel under his floating body as he studied the box in front of him. He still couldn't touch anything besides the outside walls of the house, but he had been able to move that door. So, it was very likely he could open the box with his mind. Hopefully it wouldn't exhaust him like the door though; he really didn't like passing out without warning.

Dan closed his eyes, focusing on imagining the flaps of the box opening. He contemplated this image, repeating it over and over in his mind. Though he didn't have to breathe, he found the action comforting, helping him relax as he concentrated. However, it was hard to stay relaxed as the minutes ticked on and the box stayed stubbornly closed. He peeked an eye open, huffing at the lack of movement before closing it again. Why wasn't anything happening? He'd only had to think about that door slamming shut and it happened. What was so different about this?

Dan let out a slow breath and flattened out his fingers on his thighs. He made the image move slower in his mind, visualizing each movement of the box opening as if it were a flip book. He repeated this image to himself, willing the box to behave as he asked. He felt the tingling in his fingertips and then-

A sound like a deck of cards being shuffled reached Dan's ears and he opened his eyes to find the box had opened, dust twirling through the stale attic air. He grinned from ear to ear, letting out a loud woop of victory. He'd done it! He'd opened the box! This might have been barely an achievement to anyone else, but Dan didn't care, immediately starting to do that little drunk dance babies do. He'd just made a box open with his mind. This is too fucking awesome not to celebrate.

As Dan twirled in the air in celebration, it took him a good few seconds before he noticed the rhythmic sound of footsteps coming from the lower levels of the house. He paused in his celebration, tilting his head at the unexpected sound. Was Arin back? Or maybe that Ross fellow? Some of their other friends? Dan glanced at the open box, torn between finally exploring the box and checking out the visitor. The box, however, would take more concentration to sort through, and he couldn't exactly concentrate with someone walking about his house.

Decision practically made for him, Dan began to float down through the ceiling to the second floor. He listened again, pinpointing it to the kitchen on the first floor. He phased through the far wall, expecting to see a familiar face, but frowned when he realized he'd never seen this woman before. She was a stern looking woman, hands on her hips as she surveyed the kitchen. Dan's eyes wandered over the tool belt clipped around her waist, the jeans snug on her frame, the button up emblazoned with some sort of logo- 

Dan would have smacked himself if he could. It was the contractor. Of course it was. Goodness knows Arin and his friends had mentioned them enough, although Dan hadn't really cared enough to listen to their human babble. Obviously he should have.

The contractor got down on her hands and knees and felt along the walls and kitchen cabinets. Dan watched, slightly amused, knowing very well she was searching for a draft. He wondered how long it'd take her to find the two openings in the living room, as well as the one in the bathroom. They were significantly small, so it’d take a bit more than just feeling around.

Dan got bored pretty quickly watching the contractor. She took a good half hour to finish up with the kitchen, so as she moved to the dining room, Dan decided to float back up to the attic. He wasn't really worried that she was gonna do anything major to his house. The only reason she was here was to make sure the place was livable for Arin and his friends, and there wasn't much to be done before it was.

Dan phased back up through the ceiling and floated back over to the box he'd opened. He glanced in it, curious what he'd unearthed. Varies papers, yellowed by age, were piled side by side in the box, the top pages virtually unreadable. He narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the top page. After a few moments, it began to curl to the side, as if a breeze was blowing on it. Dan concentrated harder, curling one hand into a fist. Suddenly, several of the pages went flying, shooting in all directions. Dan immediately unfurled his hand, blinking at the unexpected pages.

"This is harder than I thought." Dan mumbled to himself, watching the pages drift to the ground. He sighed and floated over to the closest page. The edges were yellowed like the top page had been, but the middle part was still readable. Simple math problems covered the page, faded pencil barely visible any more. A red 100% was written in the top corner. A smile tugged at Dan's face as he floated to the next page. A child's drawing of a stick figure woman sat under the question, "Who is your hero?" The woman was smiling, with hearts around her and a baby in her arms. Dan guessed the woman was probably the child's mother. A memory of his own mother pinning a drawing he'd done of her onto the fridge came to him.

"I love it, Danny." She said, grinning at him. She swooped him up in a hug and kissed his forehead, making him giggle. He'd felt so happy in that moment, held and loved. His mother had always been amazing to him, even as he grew. She had always supported him, even when he struggled to find a way to balance his music and making a living. "You can do it, baby." She'd told him over and over, the sincerity in those words making him feel ten feet tall.

Dan's smile faded as he remembered when she'd finally visited the house after his death. Throughout the removal of his things, the holding of his funeral; through it all, she remained absent. But one day, seven months after his death, she pulled into the driveway.

Dan hadn't at all expected it; by that time, he'd given up hope of ever seeing her again. As he floated aimlessly through the kitchen though, he'd heard a key turn in the lock. He'd quickly moved to the living room, both confused and eager to see who had come. When the door opened, he froze, shock stalling his whole system. His mother had stepped in carefully, as if she was disturbing the house itself by being here. She had looked so small, with her hair unkempt and her mascara running. She'd obviously been crying, but it had long since dried and she just hadn't bothered to fix it.

She had glanced around slowly, taking in the empty living room. Her eyes began to water but she took a couple deep breathes, forcing herself to be calm. Dan had finally snapped out of his frozen state, floating forward slowly in case somehow she saw him. He hadn't known then all he had to do was touch her and she'd see him. He didn't even bother to try to contact people anymore. He just kept hoping somehow, someone would magically see him. Tell him this was all a weirdly long dream, or that he was just in a coma somewhere, waiting to wake up. It took him more than a year to finally accept that that would never happen.

His mother took a few steps inside, hands clasped tightly together. "Mom?" Dan finally choked out, heart sinking when she just continued forward, no response to be seen. He floated slightly closer, watching her eyes flutter over every surface of the room. She reached out and ran her hand along the wall, fragile fingertips caressing the small bumps and the wallpaper. Dan felt a sudden longing to gather her into his arms tightly, just as she had done when he was a child whenever his heart had hurt so badly tears had over flowed. His mother had known he was tenderhearted from a small age, but instead of pushing him to become hard like the world wanted him to, she just held him as his tears flowed, petting his head and telling him all was okay. That his tears were okay. That he was fine the way he was. Dan yearned to feel that again, but this time imparted to his broken hearted mother, staring at the wall like it held the secrets to his death.

"Oh, Dan. My-" She said, pausing to hold back the tears once again. "My baby boy." She whispered, a tear dripping despite her best efforts. She drew a ragged breath, eyes wandering back over the room. Dan begged her eyes to land on him but they only swept past him without hesitation. Dan was sure this in this moment, his heart shattered completely, only second to the moment of complete betrayal by his murderer. 

His mother looked about ready to collapse. Her grief was so overpowering for her small soul, and yet she continued forward into the house. Her fingers continued to trace the scratched wallpaper as she made her way through to the hallway. She moved with slow, calculated steps, as if determined to take in every inch of the house. Her steps never wavered, even as more tears began to fall, and with every step, Dan was right behind her.

She made her way past the office and to the bathroom at the end of the hall. Dan hesitated, not really wanting to follow her in, but she let the door open anyways so he supposed the point was moot. She turned on the tap and washed the mascara off her cheeks, her breaths deliberately even. She leaned forward against the sink, head resting against the mirror. Dan flexed his fingers, aching to reach out and touch her. Instead he twisted his own hands together.

After a few minutes, she lifted her head again, meeting her own eyes in the mirror. Dan floated behind her, watching the grief play out on her face as she stared back at herself. She seemed to be deciding something, eyes flickering back and forth, and Dan could only watch, both wanting her to stay and wanting her to go. Finally, she straightened up, ran a hand through her frazzled hair, and sighed.

"I miss you, baby." She whispered, closing her eyes. "You weren't supposed to go like that. No one should-" She shook her head, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "He took you from us. Goodness." She leaned back against the wall, Dan having to float quickly to the side to avoid touching her.

"I'm so sorry, Mom." Dan said, watching the tears trickle down her cheeks. "I didn't want to go. I'm so sorry."

She reached up and wiped her face, blinking her eyes open slowly. "I can't keep doing this." She said. "I can't live like this." She turned suddenly, leaving the bathroom. Dan hurried forward, watching her walk back to the living room. She paused in the middle of the room, her eyes taking in everything once more. She wrung her hands together, tears falling down her cheeks as she took another ragged breath. "I gotta let you go, baby." She said, voice cracking. Dan stared at her, frozen once more as she spoke. "I don't want to. Goodness knows I don't want to." She shook her head. "I can't come back. I gotta-" She choked on her words, tears falling even faster. She swiped at them, trying to wipe them before they reached her chin. She clutched her other arm around her middle, trying to stop the sobs already wracking her body. With a lurching motion, she moved forward to the front door, tearing it open. Dan reached out a hand, but before he could move a muscle the door slammed shut and she was gone.

It was the last time he'd seen her.

Dan heard a door creak open and snapped out of his memories, eyes flicking around the attic. He glanced back down at the child's drawing, then sharply away. That was enough remembering for today.

Now that he was listening, Dan realized he could hear muffled voices coming from downstairs. He vaguely wondered how long he'd been out of it as he floated down to the ground floor. He followed the voices to the living room, catching the middle of the conversation.

"-not crazy. I swear it's true." Arin said, gesturing wildly. Suzy, Ross, Barry, and Holly stood in front of him, all looking equally concerned. Dan paused at the entrance to the living room, looking between all of them before edging closer.

"Arin, it's an old house." Ross said. "Sometimes you hear things in them. It's normal."

"But I saw him!" 

"Arin-" Suzy started but Arin cut her off.

"I'm not just making this up, Suz." He said, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. Dan floated closer, glancing at the others faces. He was pretty sure this conversation was about him, but he wasn't really sure what to do about it.

"Have you been sleeping, Arin?" Barry asked.

Arin sighed. "Guys…"

Suzy put a hand on his arm. "Arin, we're just worried."

Dan frowned. They thought he was crazy, not that he blamed them. If he was still alive, he'd think the same. But since he knew he wasn't, Dan felt bad for him. He obviously wanted to be honest with his friends but they wouldn't believe him. Dan suddenly felt an urge to help him. He glanced around, looking for anything he could use to get people's attention.

"Suzy, please, I'm not making this up." Arin pleaded. Suzy's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Where is this coming from, Arin?" She asked. "I knew you were tired before but…"

Arin's shoulders drooped. He glanced at his other friends, but they only looked more concerned; Dan could tell he was about to give up. Dan curled his hands into fists. No, he wasn't gonna let him. Not now. If he did, Arin might never try to talk to him again. He didn't know if he trusted him yet but… he didn't want to be ignored either.

Dan's eyes finally landed on a discarded pencil in the corner of the room. It was pretty small, obviously sharpened too many times. If he concentrated hard enough, he should be able to float it over to them.

Dan closed his eyes, shutting out the world. He focused on imagining the pencil floating into the air, slowly coming towards him. He repeated this image, relaxing as he continued. After a moment, he opened his eyes to find the pencil floating right in front of his face.

And all the humans staring right at it.

"How-?" Ross choked out, eyes wide as saucers. Dan swallowed hard, glancing at all of them. They obviously still couldn't see him, cause their eyes were locked on the pencil, but he'd gotten their attention. He'd be proud of himself if he was terrified.

Arin suddenly grinned. "Dan!" He sang gleefully. "See? He's here!"

Dan glanced at Arin, the smile on his face infectious. He couldn't help but smile back, the fear in his chest dispersing a little. Arin was happy with him. Good. Maybe he wouldn't abandon him after all.

"Arin, stop that." Barry said, side eyeing Arin. "It isn't funny."

"It's not me!" Arin dug in his pockets suddenly, searching for something. "I'll show you. Dan, do you think you could write if I gave you somethin' to write on?"

Dan blinked. Write? He'd barely learned how to open a box, and now he was supposed to write? He chewed on his lip, unsure how to reply, but the expectation on Arin's face made the choice for him. He looked so excited, like he truly believed he could. Dan sighed and made the pencil bob up and down. Suzy's mouth dropped open.

"What's going on?" She asked quickly.

"Arin?" Ross and Holly ask in tandem, their eyes flicking sharply between Arin and the pencil.

"Just hold on." Arin quipped, checking his back pockets. He made a triumphant sound and pulled out a piece of crumpled paper, unfolding it and flattening it between his palms. "Here. Dan can use this. I only drew on it a little." He held it out to the air expectantly.

The pencil wavered, reflecting Dan's confidence. He swallowed hard and took a slow breath. Instead of closing his eyes this time, he focused on the paper, imagining it joining the pencil in the air. To his surprise, the paper rose almost instantly, floating next to the pencil just as he’d imagined. The whole group watched in shock as it did so. Dan felt as if he was on display.

"This is too freaky." Ross said, taking a step back. Holly clutched his arm. Dan wasn’t sure if she was trying to keep him here or just get comfort.

"Arin, what's going on?" Barry asked, repeating Suzy's question.

Dan looked over at Arin, his confidence wavering even more. They were all afraid of him. He was putting himself out here and they could easily get rid of him if they wanted to. He wanted to leave. Now. Protect himself.

But Arin's shining confidence in him was too obvious to be ignored. He looked so hopeful, eyes wide with wonder and expectation. Suddenly, their eyes met. Arin squinted and Dan held his imaginary breath, eyes widening at the suddenness. But slowly Arin's smile got even bigger and he… he fucking winked. 

Dan let out the breath, a smile slowly spreading on his own face. He didn't know how Arin was seeing him, or if his friends would suddenly run out of the house screaming, but what he did know is he didn't want to hide any more.

With that thought, Dan began to write.


	5. Shiver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fifth chapter is here! This is currently the unedited version, but I wanted to get this up for you guys. These next few chapters will be from Arin's POV!
> 
> EDIT: Bonus art

Arin gripped a box tight in his arms as he pushed the front door open with his foot. The door fought back, quickly moving to slam back on him, but Arin was quicker. He twisted his body, pressing his back against the door and shoving it the rest of the way open. His footsteps echo through out the house, but less than before. Boxes were strewn about, stacked up high in each room. Only a few were actually open, but that wasn't surprising considering they'd only begun moving in a few days ago.

Arin stepped into the living room, leaving the defeated door to slink back closed. Leaning down by the far window, he deposited the box safely onto the ground, letting out a groan as he pulled his body back up straight. Fucking stupid consoles. Too heavy for their own good. And there was still two more boxes of those fucking things!

Detesting the thought of lugging those inside after already lugging in half the living room, he decided it was time for a break. He plopped himself down on the sizable couch he and Suzy had carried in earlier, letting his head flop back and closing his eyes. He could hear the distant chatter of his friends from different rooms in the house, but there was really only one person he wanted to talk to right now.

Honestly, Arin was getting pretty attached to the ghost in his new workspace. Even though everyone's responses to Dan trying to communicate with them was less than desired, at least they knew he was here. Which meant he could talk to him more often and it not be weird. Well, not too weird anyways. Even after Dan's struggled scrawl, almost everyone was freaked. None of them really wanted to talk back to him, although Holly did try, asking him why he was here. When he didn't answer though, everything got awkward fast.

Arin sighed quietly, blinking his eyes open to stare at the ceiling. He really hoped his friends would warm up to Dan eventually. He really wanted to keep talking with him. Especially since he'd discovered he could actually see him if he wanted to. It had weirded him out at first. He didn't want to admit to himself that he could actually sense Dan's presence. It sounded stupid to even think about it. It was true regardless, however, as he could literally feel the moment Dan wandered near. The more he acknowledged it, the more he was able to sense. Up to the point right before Dan began to write that he tried to purposefully see him, and it worked so fast he couldn't believe it. He wanted to ask anyone else if they felt this, and see if they'd try to see Dan at will too, but he had a feeling no one even wanted to remember their extra inhabitant.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck rose and Arin knew Dan had to be right behind him. The feeling itself was disturbing, as it made his palms sweat and goosebumps dot his body, but a smile slid onto his face anyways. He felt like he hadn't talked to Dan in ages, even though it'd only been a couple weeks.

Instead of calling out to Dan however, Arin closed his eyes and tried to see what else he could sense. First were the usual things. The ground under his feet, the vinyl of the couch sticking to the back of his neck; As he concentrated however, he started to feel a coldness and an energy hovering now above him. It hummed and crackled slightly, like an old radio, but the feeling was quite peaceful. Almost nostalgic. Arin smiled, imagining Dan's face, shaping out his semi-physical form in his mind from memory. The leather jacket over the loose white V neck T, the curls of his dark black hair, and the jeans hugging his legs. He could see it all hovering above him, staring down at him with curiosity. Was this how Dan looked right at this moment? Or was Arin just imagining the image of him he thought he would most resemble? Though Arin believed it to be the latter, he felt compelled to test it. Taking a breath, he blinked his open.

Dan hovered over him, eyes glancing down at him curiously. The exact same as he'd seen in his head. Arin let out a breath in surprise, unable to grasp what that meant. Quickly, Dan seemed to realize he could see him, or at least somewhat so, as he backed away slightly, wariness inhabiting his frame.

"You were fine where you were." Arin blurted, wanting to comfort him. But his words only seemed to make Dan more uncomfortable. He stared at him with somewhat wider eyes, unable to decide what to say. He glanced down at Arin's lap, then frowned and glanced back up at his face. Arin held up his hands. "What? Did I leave my fly down?"

"How are you..." Dan started then paused, suddenly floating all around Arin as if searching for something. Arin watched him do so, both amused and confused. Dan huffed a breath of annoyance and drifted down as if he was sitting on the couch, but seemingly as far away from Arin as he could. "You don't have any crystals. Or the book. How do you keep seeing me? I thought you couldn't see me unless.." Dan bit his lip, trailing off.

Arin shrugged. "Honestly? No idea. I just started trying and well, voila." Arin gestured at Dan with another shrug. Dan blinked, glancing down at himself then back at Arin. He raised an eyebrow; Arin just shrugged again.

"That's really weird." Dan pointed out. "None of the others have seen me. Like actually seen me. They only do if i move something. But you-" Dan shook his head, making his curls bounce. "You're a fucking weirdo, man." Arin blinked at him, and Dan suddenly back peddled. "Ah shit, I mean-"

Arin started laughing, shaking his head. Dan froze, unsure what to do, so Arin tried to control his laughter and form words. "N-no it's- it's true. I'm a fuckin weird b-bastard." Arin started laughing harder, making Dan look at him like he was crazy, but even so, a smile rose to his lips and he chuckled.

"I think you've proved my point just now." Dan mussed as Arin wiped tears from his eyes. "Like seriously dude, that wasn't even that funny."

"Fuckin weirdo." Arin said, imitating Dan's voice before breaking into more laughter. Dan began to giggle purely at Arin's antics, and Arin was glad to hear it. Dan was always so somber when Arin saw him. Making him laugh was like a fun little game, one that Arin seemed to win often.

After Arin managed to collect himself, Dan still shaking his head at his antics, he leaned closer to Dan. "So, how's life in ghost land?" He asked, eyes wide with curiosity. Dan, however, just shrugged.

"Boring. You guys are like, my only source of entertainment." Dan sighed. "It's horrible not being seen, though. Or frightening people. I don't mean to, I just-"

"Dan, they've never seen a ghost before." Arin said, fingers twitching as he suppressed the urge to reach out to comfort him. His hand would just pass through him anyways. "You gotta give them time. They'll get used to you."

"But you'd never seen a ghost before." Dan said, gesturing towards him. "And you're totally fine. You even try to search me out."

Arin bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away from Dan. "Uh well you're not actually the first ghost I've come across."

Dan blinked, a bit taken aback. "Wait, seriously? What other ghosts have you seen? Wait is that how you could see me now?"

Arin shook his head. "Nah man, I still don't know how that happened. And I've only seen one other ghost, when I was like seven or something. I barely remember it." That was a lie, but Arin didn't really feel guilty about that. He didn't really want to talk about Jon right now.

"Oh." Dan rubbed his hands together, looking everywhere but Arin. "So uh, you're fine with me then?"

Arin raised an eyebrow. "Yeah dude. I've said so."

"Then-" Dan bit his lip and stared at him lap. "Um…"

"Dude, spit it out."

"CanItouchyou?" Dan asked, so fast Arin barely caught the words. He continued to stare intensely at his lap, making Arin stare at the side of his head. He wrinkled his brow.

"Huh?" Arin tilted his head slightly, trying to figure out what he meant.

Dan sighed and hesitantly glanced up at Arin. "Do you remember when you first saw me? Back when you toured the house for the first time?"

Arin nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, you freaked me out, dude. How'd you make me see you like that anyways? You were so clear so suddenly."

Dan bit his lip again, but didn't look away. "I-I wondered what would happen if I touched someone. Like phased my hand through them and well, apparently it makes me visible and…" Dan frowned.

"And?" Arin inquired.

"And something else I remember was I felt so…solid. Like I was real. It was really weird, and I kinda want to feel it again." He swallowed hard and ducked his head. "But if you don't wanna that's fine I-"

"Woah wait a sec, Dan." Arin waved a hand, shaking his head. "Let me think at least." Dan nodded, not looking up, as Arin ran a hand through his hair again. Jeez, this was weird. He was sitting here, talking with a ghost, and considering whether he'd let him touch him or not. Who gave him the crazy pill?

To be fair, what Dan was suggesting was hardly terrifying. He vaguely remembered the feeling he'd hand when Dan had touched him. Tingly and sort of cold, like his fingers had been touching snow. It wasn't that pleasant, but it wasn't exactly unpleasant either. Plus, it'd be cool to see what it was really like to touch a ghost. Who else had this chance?

"Sure. I'll do it." Arin enthused, grinning. Dan glanced up at him, looking entirely perplexed.

"Wait, really?" He asked slowly, as if afraid Arin would change his mind.

"Yeah man, let's do this." Arin scooted closer to Dan, who curled closer to himself, looking quite unsure of himself.

"Um I, uh, alright." Dan mumbled, hands pulled close to his chest. "How do-I mean can I just-"

"Here." Arin held out his hand. "Just act like you're tryin' to hold my hand."

Dan's eyes widened. "I-what?"

Arin snorted. "Embrace the gay, Dan. Embrace!" Arin waved his other hand dramatically, pulling a giggle from Dan's throat. Arin's grin widened. Success.

"Alright." Dan carefully reached forward and slid his hand into Arin's. Immediately, Arin felt ice crawl up his veins. The tingle in his hand was weak, but getting stronger with each second. He winced. Fuck, this was much more uncomfortable than he remembered.

But as Arin watched Dan, he realized Dan was experiencing something much different. His eyes widened as he glanced around his body, eyes lit up like a little boy on Christmas. He focused on the couch between them and slowly reached forward and…he touched it. Didn't go through it, no he actually touched the couch. Fingers curling around vinyl, the 'scritch scritch' of fingernails as he squeezed, and the little gasp he made as it happened; All of this distracted Arin momentarily from the pain he was starting to feel as the cold crept up his arm. He watched, fascinated, as Dan ran his hand over the vinyl, the wonder evident in his movements.

"Arin. Arin I can feel." Dan said, voice alight with amazement. He grinned at Arin, looking like he'd gotten the best present in the world. Arin forced himself to smile back, the pain in his hand starting to make it hard to concentrate. He winced again, unable to hold it back and instantly Dan's smile faded. "Are you okay? Arin, what's wrong?"

Arin shook his head, flexing his fingers with the hope it'd bring some of the feeling back. "I can't- Dan I gotta stop."

Dan glanced at their hands and realized Arin's was shaking. He immediately yanked his hand back, clutching it to his chest. Arin pulled his back as well, rubbing his hand over his arm. The feeling was already returning, the cold going away. Arin let out a breath of relief. At least it wasn't permanent. That would really suck.

"I'm so sorry, Arin. Are you okay? I really didn't know that would happen." Dan stared worriedly at Arin. Arin flexed his fingers, continuing to rub the life back into his arm.

"I'm fine." Arin said, holding up his hand. "See? No harm, no foul."

"But I hurt you." Dan said quietly, looking for all intensive purposes like a kicked puppy. Arin wanted to pull him into a hug, but that would mean touching him again and, well, he'd had enough of that for today.

"I'm alright, man. Really. But maybe no more touching for a while." Arin chuckled, smiling at Dan. Dan gave a weak smile back, still looking worried. "So what was it like for you?" Arin asked curiously. "I mean, you said you could feel."

Dan nodded. "Yeah it was like I was alive again. It was wonderful." Dan's voice started to take on a dreamy tone, eyes glazing over as he seemed to conjure up a memory. Arin rubbed his arm absently, retreating into his mind as well. What must it be like to be unable to feel, or even speak to anyone for so many years? That must have been hell. How was Dan able to get through that? If it was Arin, he'd have gone stir crazy in less than a year. And then to suddenly feel again, to feel as if you exist. Damn, that must have been an emotional rollercoaster for him.

"Arin?" Arin blinked, glancing at Dan. "I'm really sorry I hurt you. I didn't know it would do that and I-"

"Dan. Seriously, it's okay. It wasn't your fault." Arin shrugged. "And hey, I'm glad I got to let you experience feeling. I mean, that had to be awesome so no regrets." 

Dan gave him a small smile, finally seeming pleased. "It really was nice."

"See? It worked out." Arin suddenly realized he was supposed to be lugging boxes inside and groaned.

"What?" Dan asked, immediately tensing up. "Are you okay? What is it?"

"I gotta get two more heavy ass boxes out of my car." Arin whined. Dan stared at him a second before snorting a laugh.

"Dude, just go get the damn boxes. You might as well add to the treasury." Dan gestured at all the boxes surrounding them and Arin groaned again.

"But Dan," Arin pouted. "They're heavy."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Well I would help but one, I don't wanna. Two, dead. So, guess you're on your own, Big boy." Dan floated into the air, obviously amused by Arin's annoyance. 

"Yeah, whatever. You just wait, mister. I'll make sure I get something for you to do." Arin vowed, pulling himself to his feet.

"I can suggest a few things." Dan said with a wink. When Arin glanced up at him incredulously, Dan just shrugged. "I'm embracing the gay. Your suggestion, remember."

Arin laughed. "You know, I like you, Dan. I think we'll get along just great as roommates."

"Me too." Dan said, grinning. "Now go get those boxes, you big baby."


	6. Textbook Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, guys! It's so nice to be working on this gem again. I missed this, a lot. I hope you guys like this new chapter and I'm going to continue updating best I can. It's been a bit hard for me doing something this long and complex, plot-wise, but I'm committed.
> 
> And yes, this chapter is pretty short and dismal, but I think you guys have waited long enough

The cold of Dan's touch lingered on Arin's skin as he stepped outside. He shivered, rubbing his arm. There was no wind and yet he felt as if there was a block of ice in his stomach, a nameless dread propelled by such a feeling. Of course, he hadn't told Dan any of this, nor how tired he felt even though he had been plenty awake just minutes before they touched. He had no idea what touching Dan kept doing to him, but he doubted it was very good. 

He leaned back against the door frame and took a deep breath, trying to clear the haze that had fallen over him. The boxes. He just needed to get the two boxes, and then he could head back inside. Preferably no where near Dan. Well, at least, not so close to accidentally touch him. Even though this had been the third time, he'd never touched him for so long. The other times had been so brief, he'd barely been able to feel the side effects.

After a few moments, Arin made his way to his car. He started to walk around to the trunk, but a glimpse of something in the passenger seat caught his eye. He backtracked, popping open the passenger door and lifting up the book off the seat. The title, "Understanding the Afterworld," had creeped him out originally. He'd found the book years ago, in a little bookstore by his house. He'd been compelled to go inside, as if something wanted him inside. Browsing through the non fiction section, he'd spied it shoved in the back, covered in cobwebs. Curious, he'd picked it up, flipping through the different spiritual imagery and definitions. It would have been merely amusing had he not come across the strange message on the first page. He flipped back to it now, wanting to be reassured he still hadn't imagined it.

 _Dear Mr or Ms Hanson,_ the handwritten note began. _I do hope this book finds it's way to you in a timely manner; Preferably before you have need of it, but all in due time I suppose. Regardless, I apologize, for this book had meant to be passed down to you however, as my estate is quickly dwindling, I have no choice but to sell it to the nearest bookseller. I can only hope that the universe will be so kind to me as to have it come back into the family eventually. I know how inexplicably useful this volume was to me when I first began my journey, and I wish it becomes the same for you._

_Best regards,  
Andrew S. Hanson_

Arin swallowed hard, running his fingers over the words. It was one hell of a coincidence that the person had his last name. However, originally he had dismissed it as merely that. A coincidence, even though the letter made him feel compelled to purchase it. Now though, he was unsure.

He sat back in the passenger seat and, resting the book on his lap, flipped to the table of contents. When he'd first came across Dan, he skimmed the book, wondering if it could help him. He wondered that again, this time if there were a reason he felt the way he did after touching Dan. A pit of apprehension hung in his stomach as he ran his eyes down the page. Under the section on ghosts, a chapter called "Resisting Life Surge" caught his eye; Mostly because the sound of 'Life Surge' made him eager to discover what that was. That, and none of the other chapters seemed to be close to what he was looking for.

Arin flipped to the chapter and started to read. Immediately he knew, he had found the right chapter. Life Surge, as defined in the book, resulted when a ghost and a human touched. When this occurred, the human's life force would slowly be drained to sustain a temporary physical form for the spirit. This phenomenon could cause, in the human, headaches, shakes, rapid heartbeat, tingling in the affected area, continuous pain, as well as weakness, difficulty with moter functions, and, with increased touching, could result even in death. A footnote read that death was purely thought to happen. No recorded instances were yet known. But Arin couldn't get to that part. His eyes could only stare at 'death', a sense of dread coursing through him.

Did Dan know this? Know what he was doing when he touched Arin? He would like the think that he didn't, but he barely knew Dan. Hell, he could be really an evil son of bitch ready to possess him when he finally let his guard down.

Arin paused at that thought, unable to really hold onto the idea. Just remembering the way Dan had seemed so nervous, so unsure about talking to him. How he'd been so sad about scaring his friends. Even if he tried to believe it, Dan wasn't malicious, and he knew this. That meant he had to believe Dan had no idea what touching Arin did. But back with Jon, he'd never touched Arin. He actually seemed to go out of his way to make sure they didn't touch. Had Jon known? If he had, however he had, Arin supposed he was glad enough for it. If he was having a hard time with it now, he had no doubts that his seven year old self would have probably fallen ill at such little contact. The thought made him queasy.

Arin sighed and leaned back, eyes glancing down at the crudely drawn picture of a spirit on the opposite page. It was quite androgynous, without many features or form. The caption simply read, "Apparition."

"What are you doing?" A voice asked, making him jump. He glanced up to find Suzy leaning against the car door, looking amused. "I swear, you'll find any excuse not to work." Arin forced himself to give her a smile, although it wasn't very convincing. Suzy frowned. "Hey, you alright?" 

"Yeah." He closed the book and tucked it under his arm, pulling himself back to his feet. "Yeah, Suz, I'm fine. Sorry, just got distracted." He gave her a more convincing smile this time, though she still seemed a bit worried. He gestured at the trunk. "I got two left. Wanna help?"

"Sure." She looked him over once more before walking around the car. Arin let put a small breath before following her. She scooped up the bigger one, moving aside so Arin could place the book on top of the other before picking it up as well. He gestured her forward and she did so, Arin following closely behind. He'd have more time to think about ghosts and shit later. Most importantly, however, he'd need to keep an eye on Dan. Friendly or not, he could have bad intentions, and Arin couldn't risk that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on tumblr now as [musicalravencreates!](http://musicalravencreates.tumblr.com) I post behind the scenes bits and updates, and I take requests.


	7. Fear and Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was supposed to be a completely different tone but then this happened. Still, I like how it turned out. Regardless, my lovely editor is stuck under a pile of work so you'll have to handle my quick edits instead. I'd rather not stress her anyways.

Dan was hovering in the corner of the living room, flexing and unflexing his fingers. He could no longer feel the pull of tendons, but the memory was vivid enough now that he could easily pretend. He watched them with wonder, remembering the feel of the leather couch between his fingers; the weight of his legs against the cushions; the tickle of air against his skin when he spoke. It was as if he had woken up, jolted out of a long dream, only to return quickly to sleep. He sighed and dropped his hands. The dream was becoming less and less satisfying. Already, he wanted to go find Arin again. Touch him. _Feel._

In his wistfulness, he almost managed to miss the appearance of two of Arin's friends. Holly and...Russ? He blinked, trying to remember the male's name as he watched them step into the living room.

"Ross, c'mon now," Holly said, licking her lips. Dan snapped his fingers in recollection. Ross. He needed to remember that. "I'm sure this 'Dan' is not going to hurt us." She continued.

"You don't know that for sure!" Ross squeaked, eyes darting around as they moved farther into the room. "No one's even seen him! What if he's mind controlling Arin? Making him think he's harmless and then-" He made a throat-slitting motion. Dan just stared, struck with the sudden need to laugh. Was this guy for real?

Holly looked about as done with this theory as he was. "Ross, honey. I love you, but no." She patted his arm. "Now, we've been through every room and no Dan. If he's around, he probably wants to be left alone."

"You can't tell me you're completely fine with this?" Ross said, gesturing wildly at the air. "We're living with a ghost. A ghost, Holly!"

Holly sighed. "Of course it bothers me." Dan frowned. Well, there goes being on his side then. "But I trust Arin. Don't you?"

"Mind control, Holly." He shook his head. "I can't risk it."

Holly sighed again. "Fine, but I'm hungry and done with searching. You can continue your hunt by yourself." Immediately, she turned to leave.

"Holly, wait!" Ross scrambled to follow her. "Don't leave me alone!"

"Ross, you'll be fine." She kissed his cheek. "I'll just be in the kitchen."

Ross watched her leave from the doorway, his teeth working grooves into his bottom lip. Dan floated closer, not exactly wanting to spook the poor guy but feeling a bit annoyed. He had let these humans into his space, without too much of a fight, and yet this guy still expected him to hurt them in some way? Were the others like this? Were they hiding from him, waiting for him to 'make his move?'

As he got closer to Ross, he could hear him take deep breaths, as if attempting to calm himself. His grip was tight on the doorway and eyes closed. He looked so frightened. It made a cold sadness wash over Dan, blocking out his frustration. All he could do is float there, watching him fear a threat that didn't exist. He suddenly felt the need to make Ross see him. To show him he wasn't what he thought he was. He reached out, then stopped, inches from touching Ross' arm. No. Touching him would only scare him. And yet, it was the only way. He felt like screaming. He wasn't going to be helpless! He wasn't!

He dropped his hand and floated around to face Ross. His eyes were still squeezed shut, breathing finally starting to calm. Dan shifted, trying to think. What if there was a way for him to see him without touching him? Arin had done just that earlier. Why couldn't Ross? But what would that require? Would Ross need to want to see him? Or was it unconscious? He couldn't remember what Arin had said about it, too caught up in the memories of touching to retain his words.

"C'mon." He said, floating closer to Ross. "See me. C'mon." He got so close his nose was almost touching his. Suddenly, Ross' eyes blinked open. Dan froze, automatically holding his breath.

Ross, however, just sighed and turned back towards the living room, walking towards the couch. The feeling of failure came crashing over Dan. He swung his body to the left, eyes landing on a rather small box. Without thinking, he let out a cry of frustration and caused the box to go sailing through the air.

"Just fucking see me already!" He yelled as the box crashed into the opposite wall. Ross' response was immediate. He spun around, wide eyes locking on Dan's. However, Dan had no time to feel any sort of pride from this moment before Ross was screaming Holly's name and running towards the other exit from the living room.

It took him a minute to realize what he'd just done. In his need to be seen, to help, he'd just confirmed Ross' biggest fear. Dan sucked in a breath, eyes wide. He felt like sinking through the floor to the depths of the earth. Truth be told, he would have done that by now if it was at all possible.

"Ross!" He heard Arin call, feet pounding down the stairs. "What's wrong?"

Dan floated back to the corner of the living room where he'd previously been, arms wrapped around his chest. If he'd still been capable of it, tears would be threatening to spill from his eyes. He'd fucked everything up. The humans would hate him now. They'd leave and he'd be all alone for eternity. He wrapped his arms tighter around himself, wanting to stave off the cold feeling of loneliness already reasserting itself.

He could hear the voices mingle together in the kitchen; a mix of shouts, concerned mumblings, and whispers all joining together. He desperately blocked out any words, sliding down the wall. He didn't want to hear the words of condemnation. Didn't want to hear the fear trembling through their voices. He already knew how bad he'd made it. He didn't need to add more guilt to his already guilt-ridden mind.

After several minutes the voices stopped. He stared towards the wall separating him from the kitchen. Were they going to just run? Leave everything here? He'd prefer that. As selfish as the thought was, having all these boxes here would stave off his boredom and loneliness for longer. It'd keep him sane enough for at least a year.

He heard the steps seconds before Arin and Suzy appeared in the doorway. He shrunk back, arms still clasped tight around his chest. He refused to meet Arin's eyes, keeping his gaze locked on Arin's shoes instead.

"Dan?" Arin asked, his voice wavering slightly. The need to cry came back even stronger as he realized the fear was in Arin's voice now, uncertain and careful. He thought Dan was a threat too. He choked on a sob and closed his eyes. It was all over. All over.

"Arin, I can see him," Suzy whispered. There was a pause, then he heard more footsteps. "Wait, Arin-" Suzy started.

"Suzy, trust me," Arin mumbled, closer than before. Dan didn't move, couldn't move, as another sob racked through his body. The footsteps got even closer, and he felt someone crouching down near him. He blinked his eyes open, glancing over to see the same shoes much, much closer. He swallowed hard, eyes shutting quickly once more.

"Dan," Arin said, voice quiet. Soft. Dan shook his head again. "Dan, look at me."

"N-no." Dan managed, floating backward til he could feel his back start to go through the wall.

"Dan, please. It's okay." Arin paused, Dan still refusing to open his eyes. That is, until a sharp burst of fire burned through his shoulder, lighting up his inexistent nerves. He gasped, knowing what was happening but the strong feeling of _wrong_ telling him to get away.

"Stop!" Dan cried, his eyes shooting open against his better judgment. He exactly what he feared. Arin yanking his hand back, eyes wide and scared. Suddenly, words began pouring out of him, the need to try and salvage something, _anything_ too strong to ignore anymore.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He started rocking in place, his hands shaking. "Please don't go, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, please." He choked on another sob. He stared pleadingly at Arin, unable to stop the stream of apologies. "I'm so sorry. I fucked up. Don't hurt me, please. Don't-" He started to sob uncontrollably, so many emotions coursing through his brain.

Arin just stared at him, frozen. His hand held fast to the middle of his chest, mouth hanging open. Dan knew he was scared of him now. He'd probably made him angry too. If he was going to hurt him, he only prayed it'd be fast. At least he'd feel something before they ran away.

"Dan?" A female voice suddenly came from much closer than before, startling Dan enough to quiet his sobbing. He blinked his eyes open once again, blurry vision settling on Suzy, now crouched in front of him. She was smiling softly, eyes kind and palms flat on her knees. He could tell she was scared, her hands shaking and her smile was slightly forced, but her kindness seemed genuine enough that he relaxed a bit, if only slightly.

"Hey there. I'm Suzy." She said, Her voice wavering slightly. "Arin tell's me you're Dan?" He nodded dumbly, another sob racking through his body. He expected her to do something similar to Arin, but instead, she just stayed still, eyes leveled calmly on him as she spoke. "Can you tell me why you're crying, Dan?"

The words came tumbling out of him.

"I th-threw a box and sc-scared Ross. I didn't m-mean to. I was just trying t-to get him to see m-me." Dan dug his fingers into his arms. "I kn-know you want to exorcise me but-"

"Dan, we're not going to exorcise you," Suzy said, although she sounded a bit unsure. "Right, Arin?" She asked, quickly glancing at him.

Dan turned hopefully to Arin, who finally unfroze, blinking to clear his thoughts. "Yeah we're- we're not gonna get rid of you. Or leave. It just- you scared us. I thought-" He ran a hand through his hair. "I thought you'd gone full on Paranormal Activity on us." Arin noticed Dan's blank look and sighed. "It's a movie. About ghosts killing people."

"Oh," Dan said quietly.

"But you're not like that, are you, Dan?" Suzy asked, the fear in her voice already subsiding.

"No, I'm not. And I don't th-think you guys are either."

"We aren't murderous ghosts, no." Arin snorted a laugh. "Although I can be a piece of shit during Jenga, so watch out."

"You're a piece of shit when we play _anything._ " Suzy countered, making Dan unwittingly crack a smile. His sobs were subsiding and his fingers were slowly loosening, reassured by the fact that they seemed to not be afraid of him anymore.

"Sick burn!" A male voice called out. All three of them swung around to look at the doorway, where the rest of the humans were peaking. Ross was huddled behind Holly, while Barry hovered nervously at her side. Another man Dan didn't recognize stood fully in the doorway, beaming. Dan guessed he was the one who just spoke.

Arin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Anyways, coasts clear, guys. Dan just had a mild fuck up, is all." He went to pat Dan's shoulder, seemed to think better of it, and rested his hand on the wall instead.

"Can you seem him too?" Dan heard Ross whisper to Holly. She nodded, looking more unnerved than she had been previously. Dan waved hesitantly but was pleasantly surprised when, after a moment, she smiled and waved back.

"A mild fuck up being attempting to murder Ross?" Barry asked, incredulous. Dan's smile disappeared.

"It wasn't like that," Arin said.

"You weren't there!" Ross said, trembling. Holly threaded her fingers through his, squeezing reassuringly. She avoided Dan's pleading look. 

"No, but I-I trust him." Arin swallowed hard, suddenly looking uncertain. "He didn't mean to-"

"Are you listening to yourself?" Barry gestured to the group. "We're your friends and you're defending some," He gestured vaguely at Dan. "Some supernatural being you met like a month ago?"

Dan was starting to shake again. As much as Arin seemed to have faith in him, his friends obviously didn't. Even Suzy was starting to look apprehensive, her gaze flickering to Dan as she gnawed on her bottom lip. He knew she was second guessing how close she'd gotten to him. He desperately wanted to say something. Anything to show he had meant no harm to Ross, or anyone else for that matter. However, he quickly found himself wanting to disappear. To float back up to the attic to hide away. Clearly, he wasn't wanted here, and it was only a matter of time before Arin began to believe his friends over Dan.

He barely noticed when Suzy's gaze turned to confusion, eyes flickering around him now instead of directly on him. He only realized what was happening when Barry spoke up again.

"See? He's left cause he knows what I'm saying is true!" Barry said. The man Dan didn't know frowned, seeming a bit disappointed. Holly and Ross, however, let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. 

Arin frowned, glancing back at Dan, who had yet to move an inch. He flinched under Arin's sudden gaze, eyes wide and confused.

"You can't see him?" Arin said, more a confirmation to himself than anyone else. He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow at Dan as if to ask, _why can't they?_ Dan gave a half-hearted shrug, eyeing Arin warily.

"No, Arin. He's not- look, that's not the point." Barry pinched the bridge of his nose. "He's dangerous. That's not something we can ignore."

Arin continued to stare at Dan, eyes searching his. Dan swallowed, still wary. He could see the struggle happening in Arin's mind. The choice to trust his friends or trust Dan. Dan shrunk in on himself more, waiting for Arin to stand up and rejoin his friends. Waited to be abandoned as he knows he deserves.

And yet, the small smile that tugs on Arin's lips is a shock, as is the softening of his gaze on Dan's. He doesn't reach out to him, instead mouthing the words, _it's okay._ Dan blinked, not sure he'd caught that right. But Arin was already turning back to the group, his shoulders a bit straighter and his breathing calmer.

"Ross?" He asked. "What do you remember happening exactly?"

"Arin, he already said-" Barry started, sounding exasperated.

"Just, gimme a sec," Arin said, not bothering to glance at him. "Ross?"

"I told you already."

"Humour me," Arin said with a shrug. Ross pursed his lips and Dan thought he would argue the point further. Instead, he conceded without anything more than a sigh.

"I was just standing the- well here, actually." Ross gestured at the doorway. "Anyways, I was standing here and then that ghost-"

"Dan," Arin said, eyes flickering to Dan a moment before bringing his attention back to Ross. Dan smiled softly at the acknowledgment.

"Yeah, fine. _Dan_ appeared inches from me, screaming and throwing stuff at me." Ross' voice broke and Holly squeezed his hand again. He swallowed hard but seemed to calm a bit. "He was trying to kill me, Arin. He's not safe."

"Wait a second, back up." Arin made a twisting motion with his hand. "What did he scream at you?"

Ross frowned. "I don't-"

"Ross. Please." Barry said.

Ross leaned against the doorway. "He uh, yelled, 'Just fucking see me.' I think."

Dan winced at his own words, wishing desperately he could take them back and break this stalemate of sorts.

"And then he threw the whole living room around?" Arin asked, an eyebrow raised.

"No," Ross said, narrowing his eyes. "He threw a box at me?"

"Are you sure it was at you?"

"Oh for fuck's sake." The man Dan didn't know spoke up. "Arin, I get your point but you're picking this a bit thin."

"He threw it at the wall near you." Arin said, eyes resolutely locked on Ross'. "Correct?"

"I-" Ross blinked, brow furrowing. "Maybe."

"Arin," Barry said firmly. "We can debate this all we want, but Dan is dangerous. We can't ignore that."

Dan glanced at Arin, expecting a retort, but his eyes flickered down voice silent. A sick feeling rolled through Dan. Arin may be defending him, but he was as scared as everyone else. He wanted Dan not to be dangerous, but he wasn't sure. And he knew that was all it would take. That small doubt would be enough to push him away.

Dan stood suddenly, needing to not be here anymore. If they were going to convince Arin, he didn't want to see the belief in him slowly drain away. He was ripping this off like a band aid, although he could do without the need to sob again tearing through him. He stamped it down, swallowing hard. No, he wouldn't cry again. Not now.

Arin seemed to catch his movement through his thoughts, eyes flickering up to his face as he scrambled into a standing position. "Dan, what-" He paused, foot inching back a step. It was small, but enough.

"Listen to your friends," Dan said, keeping his voice as steady as he could. "They only want what's best for you. For all of you." He smiled slightly. "Thank you, though. I'm glad I met you." He let himself linger a moment more, taking in the faces of the people around him. He let his gaze linger slightly longer on Arin's, cataloging his features. If there was one face he wanted to remember for a while, it was Arin's. He had given him so much already, and Dan was so very grateful he even managed to have what little he'd gotten.

With a final nod, Dan floated off to the attic to await their departure. And if he started to sob again once he was up there- well, there was no one else to see anyways. There wouldn't be again for a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just piling on the angst here, don't mind me. *evil cackling*
> 
> Leave a comment and tell me what you think!


	8. Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That satisfying feeling when you manage to update. As always, thank you Mookie for editting this chapter! I'm lost without your skills, I swear.

As Suzy watched Arin storm back to the kitchen, she could tell he was he seriously contemplating throwing something. His eyes fixated on a small box on the counter and she watched him reach for it. However, to Suzy's surprise, he decided on slamming a fist onto the counter instead. A dull thud echoed across, through the kitchen.

"Fuck," he muttered through gritted teeth, shutting his eyes tight. Suzy leaned against the entrance to the kitchen, frowning. Why was he so upset over all this? It wasn't like he'd even known Dan for that long. Maybe he felt betrayed? He'd put his trust so blindly and wholly into Dan that when it backfired, maybe he felt guilty he didn't see it sooner.

Dan was a bit of an enigma to Suzy at the moment. Putting aside the fact that he shouldn't even exist, his actions contradicted themselves. He attacked Ross and then curled in on himself, almost as if he was afraid of himself, rather than them. She wanted to tell Arin she believed, if only partially, that Dan wasn't evil or dangerous. Or at least, not on purpose. She took a step forward, ready to tell Arin, when Ross angrily brushed past her.

"What the hell, man?" Ross snapped, stopping several feet from Arin and clenching his fists at his sides. Suzy took a step back again, frown deepening. So much for that then. 

"Go away, Ross," Arin said, immediately tensing up at Ross' words, his back still to him.

"You can't just ignore what happened, you know," Ross reminded him, stepping closer. Suzy wanted to kick him out of there and make him leave Arin alone, but then again, she wasn't super keen on getting into this with Ross. He was scared and Arin wasn't listening, so she didn't blame him for being a bit pissed.

"I'm not ignoring it," Arin countered. Holly and Barry stepped up next to Suzy, both looking just as worried. While an argument between Arin and Ross was not uncommon, they were all aware this could get ugly fast.

"Oh, aren't you?" Ross started, leaning toward Arin. "Because it sure looks a lot like-"

"I'm not the one ignoring the facts!" Arin shouted, whirling around to glare at Ross. "If you knew Dan-"

"And you do?" Ross spat, incredulous. "You've been talking to some, some-” he stuttered, searching for a moment for the right word. “Some thing for a month, and suddenly you’re not only an expert on ghosts but him as well? Please, Arin, he's playing you. You're just determined to be blind to it."

"Shut the fuck up, Ross. You don't know anything," Arin growled, his eyes flickering to the box he'd eyed earlier.

"You two need to stop this right now," Holly demanded, finally stepping forward and eyeing them both warily. Barry followed, frown still set on his face. Suzy briefly contemplated following them, but chose to stay back. She didn't want to risk getting pulled in, although she supposed it was partially out of fear, too. Fear of getting proven wrong about Dan. Fear of being turned on by her friends for believing Dan might actually be some sort of good, like Arin was being right now. 

"Look, maybe we should all take a breather," Barry interjected, running a hand through his hair. "This is obviously a difficult issue and-"

"It wouldn't be so difficult if you guys would actually listen to me!" Arin said, gesturing at Holly, Barry, and Ross. Suzy leaned closer to the door, debating whether she should just leave. Barry was right, she knew. This was getting nowhere and a break would do them all good.

"Hey, Suz," someone whispered from behind her. She glanced around to find Brian standing there, holding his keys and looking pretty uncomfortable. "Tell the guys I'm gonna go, alright? I have some shit I need to take care of." Suzy was pretty sure he meant he was going to go think long and hard about what the fuck had just happened here, but she just smiled and nodded at him. Let him go if he wanted. He could probably use the solitude anyways.

"Have a good night, Brian," she whispered. He smiled back and waved.

"You too," He offered, and slipped silently out the front door. Suzy sighed and glanced back to the commotion in the kitchen. She should leave, too. Give herself time to process all of this.

And yet, she found her eyes drifting over to the stairs, remembering how Arin had watched the ceiling silently, telling them all Dan had left before stomping off to the kitchen. He'd probably gone upstairs, hidden away in one of the rooms.

What if he really was as innocent as Arin seemed to believe? Could they all just leave without knowing for sure? Barry probably could. Ross almost certainly could. The others, maybe. But Arin, like her, would want to know the truth. But could she get it?

"Bullshit!" Arin snarled, jostling Suzy out of her thoughts. She glanced back at them to see him and Barry almost nose to nose now as they argued. "You're assuming what you don't even understand! Why can't you just listen to me about this?"

"Because!" Barry hollered back, finally at his breaking point. "You're endangering us all by having us stay!"

Suzy glanced back to the stairs, gnawing at her lip. She should tell one of them, let them know what crazy thing she was considering doing. If she tried, though, she'd probably just be pulled into the argument. She wouldn't even have a chance.

With one more glance back at her friends, Suzy took a deep breath a made her decision. She took a step back from the doorway, sucking in another breath, and turned to face the stairs. _Here goes nothing,_ she thought and headed up into the unknown.

Fear swirled tightly in her gut as she ascended, and she fought to stamp it down. While Dan had proven himself a more than capable threat, he'd also shown how vulnerable he was. Suzy had to believe he wasn't malicious, if not in control of his own powers, anyways. As it was, he was inadvertently a danger to all of them. Still, Suzy was willing to risk it. She had to, for the sake of her friends and for her own peace of mind.

She only hoped that if Dan really had drifted upstairs that he was still here. And that he'd be willing to let her see him again. It was a long shot, but she didn't have much to lose by trying it.

"Dan?" She called out tentatively as she entered the first room. It was pretty empty, only a few boxes littered here and there. No furniture yet, although that was far from a surprise. Both Barry and Brian were less inclined to clutter their shared space, looking instead for a clean, efficient workspace. Whether they had discussed adding at least a small bed somewhere or not, Suzy had no idea. She supposed it didn't matter much now.

"Dan!" She called, a bit louder this time. She shifted in the doorway, wanting to search but not really seeing a reason to. After all, Dan wasn't exactly visible. At least, usually. Today had been a weird fluke. Highly doubtful it would happen again, unless somehow he could just choose to appear. That would make everything so much easier.

She waited in the doorway for a whole minute before deciding he wasn't there. If she at least tried to expect him to show himself to her when she called, she would feel a lot less hopeless about this.

She moved to the next room, her's and Arin's. This one was a bit fuller, Arin's share of the boxes far out weighing her contributions. She remembered Arin mentioning that, since most of his funds were going into this house, he planned to live here full time instead of using it purely as office space like the rest of them. Not that she hadn't planned to spend the night occasionally, though; that had been the main reason for getting a house instead of an office space, after all. If anyone was too consumed with work, they didn't have to bother with trying to get home. The kitchen would be stocked and there would be at least one bed in each of the three bedrooms. She herself had planned to move a bed of her own in the room they shared, not wanting to encroach on Arin's space. As close as they were, it would still be awkward to share a bed after… everything.

Suzy took a breath, shaking the thoughts away as she searched the room for a flicker of movement. She called Dan's name, eyes quickly flickering around. Nothing. Dammit.

She closed the door and walked across the hall. She felt strangely embarrassed about peeking into Ross and Holly's room, although they had just as little filling the area as the rest of them. Still, it was a weirdly intimate space. Suzy had to pause for a minute before she could manage to call out to Dan. She had an urge to whisper, as if breaking the silence would result in something bad. It was nonsense, of course, but Suzy couldn't shake the feeling, even as she shut the door and moved on.

There wasn't much else to search. She checked the far closet, then circled back to try the balcony. As she came back inside, she let out a groan of frustration. She had searched the entire second floor and Dan remained nowhere to be found.

She leaned back against the sliding door, eyes drifting up to the ceiling. Maybe he actually was in one of the rooms. Maybe he was just ignoring her, refusing to show himself. She wouldn't have blamed him at this point. Or maybe he was in one of the small places she hadn't bothered with. A bedroom closet, or the master bathroom, or-

Suddenly, her focus landed on a large wooden panel embedded in the ceiling. She blinked, standing up straight and moving to stand under it. Squinting, she confirmed her initial thought. The house had an attic, and she'd found the way in.

It wasn’t that she didn't expect there to be an attic. She was aware most houses had one, especially an older house such as this one. However, it just hadn't crossed her mind to check for one. Attics were often unused and full of cobwebs; not exactly the best place to hang out in. But still, it was her last option. Reluctantly, she scanned the wooden door for a chain or pulley system.

Her eyes eventually caught on the gleam of a short chain, obviously broken. It dangled only an inch or two off of the door, making it difficult to spot. She sighed, searching for some sort of ladder she could use. There was no way she was reaching that chain otherwise.

She didn't bother trying to sneak downstairs to get the ladder; the others would instantly be suspicious. Instead, she tried to improvise. Finding a book box from her room, she lugged it out and just to the side of the wooden door. She climbed on top, reaching up to grab the chain. She grunted as she caught it with her fingertips and tried to stretch farther, curling her fingers in the best grip she could manage.

Her first tug was unsuccessful, throwing herself off balance so much that her leg slipped off the box. She managed to right herself quickly, however, and immediately went to try again. This time, she managed a much better grip and the door popped open.

After a moment, when no loud clattering came, she peeked up into the hole. Pitch blackness greeted her and she frowned. How the hell was she supposed to get up there?

Reaching up again, she felt around the edges of the hole. Her fingertips eventually closed in on what felt like the bottom rung of a ladder. She tugged on it experimentally but it didn't budge. She traced the rung with her fingers, then over the sides. Her ring finger caught on a small protrusion on the left side. She pressed it and scrambled to catch the suddenly extending ladder. This guy had better be up there.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she carefully pulled it down, wincing each time it squeaked or groaned. She glanced at the stairs several times, convinced her friends would hear her and come investigating.

When the ladder finally reached the ground and no one else had appeared, she let out the breath she'd been holding, wiping off the sweat that had collected on her brow. Hopping off the box, she faced the ladder and the pitch blackness beyond, her stomach twisting with dread. She couldn’t deny it: she was scared.

Gripping the ladder tight, she ascended it slowly, testing each rung carefully before putting her weight on it. For a moment, she envied Dan's ability to just fly anywhere he pleased. It would certainly save her some undue stress.

Once she made it to the top, Suzy let out a deep sigh of relief. She stepped off the ladder and brushed off her hands, glancing around. Most everything was still too dark to see. What little light that made it up from the hallway only managed to light a small area around the hole. For all intensive purposes, she was effectively walking blind.

Suzy bit her lip, a bit unsettled. She quickly patted her front pockets, cursing quietly when she realized they were empty. Her phone was downstairs, most likely, leaving her without a light source.

Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, Suzy turned to the darkness and called out. "Dan?"

She waited for several moments, tapping her fingers against her hip nervously. She was starting to hope he wasn't up here either, mostly to just get out of this darkness, when she heard a voice, soft and unsure.

"Suzy?" the voice asked, echoing in the space. Suzy swallowed hard and forced her fingers to still. Well, she'd found him; that was obvious enough.

"Are you-" She cleared her throat, trying to ignore the tremor creeping into her voice. "Are you okay?"

Silence greeted her and she shivered. Shifting her weight, she glanced around at the darkness. The echo of the space made it hard to pinpoint where Dan might be, not to mention the darkness and the likely invisibleness of him at the moment. And yet, she searched. She needed to do _something_ besides stare down the inky darkness in hopes Dan wouldn't suddenly attack her.

"I'm alright." Dan spoke carefully, the echo once again making him feel everywhere and nowhere. Suzy shivered again and rubbed her arm.

"What are you doing up here in the dark?" She forced herself to ask. As much as she wanted to scramble back down the ladder and run back to her friends, she knew this was her chance. To get answers. To know if Dan really was a good egg like Arin thought. To get to know this strange man. So she held her ground, although she kept rubbing her arm. She needed something comforting at least.

"It's- you can't see?" Dan sounded surprised, and she blinked, glancing around.

"Uh, no," Suzy said. "I can't see anything up here. There's no light source." She patted her pocket absently.

"Oh, I- okay, uh," Dan went quiet suddenly. Suzy gripped her arm, watching the darkness. A loud clattering startled her, eyes wide and nails digging into flesh. It had come from just out of sight. She swallowed hard, eyes locked on the area it'd come from. After a moment, something came rolling towards her. She moved to get away from it, but quickly realized it was only a flashlight. She blinked a couple times, surprised.

"I think there's, um, batteries. Maybe." Dan said.

Suzy shuffled forward, bending quickly to scoop up the flashlight. She flicked the switch, but nothing happened. Quickly slapping it against her palm, she tried again. Still nothing. She took a step back, shaking it in the hopes that she wouldn't have to find new batteries, when she felt something hit against her shin.

Whirling around, she squinted into the darkness. She heard a scraping sound, and the shadows moved. Eyes widening, she took a quick step back.

"Suzy-" Dan started, voice tinged with worry as a dark shape lurched towards her. Before she could even make a sound, she was being tossed to the ground, head thudding hard against the attic floor. She fought to get free as its grip tightened around her. She tried to scream but dust clogged up her lungs, making her cough instead. So this was it. She was going to die.

Then, just as suddenly as she'd been trapped, the pressure was lifted and she was free. Suzy scrambled to her feet, coughing more as she stumbled back. Her mind whirled, eyes searching frantically for the thing that attacked her.

"Are you okay?" Dan asked, suddenly very close. She lashed out automatically, but her arms only caught air as she gasped. She stumbled back more, starting to shake. Had Dan attacked her like he had Ross? Did she just walk into the lion's den, and what’s more, willingly?

"Suzy, it's okay," Dan said quietly. His voice was more distant now, as if he'd moved to the far end of the attic. "Your foot caught on some boxes and they fell on you. I moved them off you. I didn't- I wouldn't hurt you."

Suzy flexed her fingers, only tensing up more when she realized she'd lost the flashlight when she fell. Whatever was going on up here, she needed a light source. Without one, everything was the enemy and she'd probably manage to be knocked off her feet again by Dan or boxes or whatever else could be up here.

She patted her front pockets again, desperately wishing her phone could just appear. On a whim, she checked her back pockets too. When her hand closed around a familiar object, however, she let out a disbelieving groan.

"Son of a-" she muttered, pulling her phone out of her pocket and switching it on. She was furious at herself for not checking there sooner, but she didn't have time to dwell on that. She quickly flipped to her settings and turned up her phone brightness to the max she could. Turning it away from her, she frowned at how little it seemed to penetrate the darkness. It was something, at least.

First, she pointed the light towards the spot she'd been attacked. As Dan had said, there were several boxes strewn about, multiple with dents and their contents spilling onto the floor. Of course, she was aware Dan could have caused the boxes to fall on her in the first place, but remembering how her ankle had hit into the boxes right beforehand, that seemed unlikely. She relaxed a bit.

After she confirmed Dan's words, she began scanning the room with her phone, searching for Dan. Of course, this was a fruitless gesture as her phone barely managed to expose anything more than three feet in front of her. She cleared her throat and tried to keep her voice as calm as possible. Not super effective, but at least she tried.

"Where are you?" She asked, continuing to scan around her. The attic was packed with boxes, even more so than downstairs. She could barely see through the gaps and spaces in the walls upon walls of boxes. It honestly wasn't much different from being in the dark, except she could dispel her fears of monsters. Most of them, anyways.

"You can- you can go if you want," Dan said, voice quiet again. "It's okay. I know you're scared of me. I really won’t mind."

"Well, I still want to see you." She paused. "Look, I'll be honest with you here. I don't trust that you won't hurt me if you got the chance, because I honestly don't know if you would or not." She paused again, taking a slow breath. "But, I need to know your side of things. I won't let us just pack up and leave because we _think_ you're dangerous."

Dan was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Alright," he answered. "Alright, I'm in the back of the attic. The, um- well, your left. There is a seat back here you might want, but I can bring it to you instead-"

"No, that's okay," Suzy reassured quickly, trying to ignore the need to run. _Dan deserved a chance just like anyone else,_ she reminded herself. Him being a sort of frightening apparition didn't change that.

With one final deep breath, she began to make her way towards Dan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Leave a comment with your favourite part or what you hope to see next! I love to hear from you
> 
> EDIT (10/22/17): It is with a heavy heart that I'm finally deciding to archive this story. While I had mapped out most of the ending, a lot of what ended up in the story was a lot more wishy-washy than what I wanted. It felt very plotless and I just personally don't like where things ended up. So, I'm abandoning the project. I will say that yes, Arin was intended to be psychic with superhuman abilities, as well as there was intended to be scenes in which Dan is able to dream walk with Arin. There was also intended to be a dramatic ending in which Cam comes back to try and make Arin his as well and they fight him.
> 
> I may or may not retry with this story. I really do love the premise and there's a lot I still wanted to explore, both the mentioned scenes and not mentioned. I also wanted Dan to be a lot more bitter and closed off, as well and weave in Arin's powers a bit better. So, I may end up restarting from scratch some time, although I cannot say for sure whether or not I will, so don't expect anything.
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading, commenting, and just generally enjoying the story with me. I'm sorry I must end it like this, but I do hope they'll be more in the future. Love you all.


End file.
